Georgia jail welcomes state-of-the-art robots to security team

COBB COUNTY, Ga. - The robot revolution has now made its way into Georgia jails.

"Hello, nice to meet you," the robot said after being uncovered.

The Cobb County Sheriff’s Office officially unveiled its new DEKA Sentry Robots on Wednesday as the agency looks to enhance security at its jail.

"I think we can work smarter with technology and not harder," said Cobb County Sheriff Craig Owens. "Allows me to shift manpower from other places inside the facility to get more things done."

Sheriff Owens says he believes he is the first to deploy robots in a jail in the United States. He says the "Jail bots" will assist deputies with perimeter patrols and security rounds in dorms.

"These Jail Bots can handle tasks much faster than some of us humans can and more efficiently," he said. "Now they will not take the place of humans, let's make sure you understand that."

To start, three robots are being deployed at the jail. Standing at nearly six-feet tall, these robots are not just massive, but they are tricked out with all the latest gadgets like 360 cameras, night vision and heat detection. They will also provide continuous surveillance and real-time communications. While the robots are programmed to navigate the facility autonomously, a live operator will control them for more complex tasks.

"I think it's going to be a game changer for the whole corrections industry because it will allow us to be a lot safer, more efficient," Sheriff Owens said.

The company behind the robots says AI technology will help spot issues and then notify the appropriate deputies.

"We're hoping it will become the basis of another one of our technologies, going from indefensible to indispensable as quickly as possible," said Dean Kamen, Founder and CEO of DEKA.

Sheriff Owens says the robots will help keep his deputies and inmates safe while also reducing human error. He says his goal with testing this tech is to move into the future and the best part is that it's not costing them any money right now.

"Here's a good thing, robots don't call out sick, they don't take vacations," he said. "All they need to do is be charged."

The pilot program will last 90 days.