If you have fever dreams about felons escaping prison and breaking into your home, peaceful nights lay ahead as Government-backed venture builder Strategic Elements (ASX: SOR) has signed an agreement with software industrial company Honeywell to deploy automation and robotics Company Stealth Technologies’ Autonomous Security Vehicles (ASVs) for perimeter security.
Stealth will engage exclusively with Honeywell for customers in the correctional, telecommunications and defence industries in Australia, New Zealand and other countries as agreed by the parties. As per the agreement, an ASV Pilot Deployment program will be conducted to encourage customers to deploy an ASV in their organisation while understanding the perks of robotic and automation vehicles.
The global perimeter security market is expected to be valued at USD 282.26 Billion by 2025. No doubt, it is a booming market, and it fits right into the agenda of the Pooled Development Fund (PDF), an Australian Government venture fund that supports innovative companies, including Strategic Elements.
The agreement with Honeywell has been in the works for a while now. In May 2022, Stealth conducted a live demonstration of the ASV at the Eastern Regional Goldfield Prison for the Vice President & General Manager of Global Services (Honeywell Building Technologies). The two companies have integrated the Stealth ASV with the Honeywell Enterprise Buildings Integrator product, which boasts thousands of systems worldwide.
The Stealth ASV autonomously navigates pre-defined missions to autonomously test critical Perimeter Intrusion Detection Systems (PIDS), i.e. the first line of defence to slow down intruders, prevent prisoners from escaping and keep staff safe, using photo-electric beams, fence sensors, buried electromagnetic cables and microwave beams.
Currently, security personnel need to physically interact with PIDS multiple times a day for operational testing. This can be quite cumbersome and time-consuming, thus not allowing prisons to take full advantage of their personnel. Moreover, this interaction may produce inconsistent test results, cause physical damage to PIDS, lack traceability, and reduce testing frequency due to high labour costs.
That’s where Stealth’s ASV comes in. Its robotic infrastructure monitors the cutting or climbing of the secure perimeter fence. Its multiple sensors provide patrol and surveillance, including a military-grade camera that offers 360-degree high-definition video. The ASV has successfully achieved thousands of operational PIDS tests in previous live trials at a correctional facility.
Through the ASV Pilot Deployment, the Company aims to build more use cases for its product. It will incorporate customer feedback to come up with the most effective ways of introducing robotics and autonomous vehicles into businesses.
As per the agreement, Honeywell will identify, engage and maintain customer relationships, procure access to customer facilities, process fees and facilitate ASV Pilot Deployments with customers. The fee structure will depend on the direct operational costs and an additional amount having regard to the relevant ASV Pilot Deployment. Stealth will continue to own the intellectual property rights for its ASV.
If all goes well, Honeywell and Stealth might even look into extending the two-year agreement.
Alinda is a Business Reporter for The Sentiment
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