The security team at Ally Financial Inc.'s new uptown tower is using robotics to help keep the property safe.
Passersby may have seen a 5-foot-3, 398-pound robot patrolling around Ally Charlotte Center and the parking deck. The robot, not yet officially named by Ally, is an autonomous security robot from Knightscope. It has four cameras, can monitor for theft or vandalism and scans license plates. There is also a button to press for assistance, if needed. The robot alerts Ally's security center to any potential threats.
"We had been talking about this even prior to Covid, and just looking at new and different ways to use technology to be more effective and efficient in all aspects of facilities and, frankly, across the company," Ally spokesperson Peter Gilchrist said.
Covid only accelerated those efforts. Ally began testing the security robot in April and then sent it on patrol soon after, Gilchrist said.
Knightscope security robots can be leased at $4 to $9 per hour, according to the website. That equates to tens of thousands of dollars per year.
Ally (NYSE: ALLY) at first used robotics to help check employees' temperatures, allowing security personnel to focus elsewhere. The contact-free system also kept the guards from being exposed to Covid at a higher rate. Ally expanded those robots' capabilities to security. It now has two Cobalt-made robots patrolling inside the building at night — checking for movement, blocked doors or dangerous carbon monoxide levels, as examples.
Gilchrist said the robots have an advantage in that they never get tired or lose focus. They know when to head back to the charging station. Cost is another factor.
"It is more cost effective to have the robot patrolling versus a live person. I think it's really a helpful way to augment our security staff, especially right now where everybody is experiencing a tight labor market," Gilchrist said.
He said Ally is looking to place robots at other properties it owns.
Detroit-based Ally bought its 26-story, 750,000-square-foot tower at 601 S. Tryon St. in mid-2021 for $390 million. Construction wrapped last spring. The bank consolidated five local offices into the tower, which has space for more than 2,000 full-time Ally employees. That mixed-use project also includes retail, public space and a hotel.
