After cutting the ribbon on its $300 million expansion in March, what is now the largest resort casino on the West Coast has upped its security game with the addition of two new high-tech security robots, according to The Press Enterprise.

Autonomous Data Machine (ADM) K5, or “Buddy” as they’ve named it at Pechanga Resort & Casino, stands 5 feet 2 inches tall, 3 feet wide and weighs in at just under 400 lbs. Buddy glides around the hotel lobby and atrium floor of the southern California resort casino, surveying and capturing live streaming, high definition 360-degree video of the surroundings with its four cameras, each capable of reading 300 license plates per minute, according to its creator, Knightscope, Inc.

Increase visibility and security:

The Knightscope K1 or “Rudy,” is the other ADM on the job at the massive 445-acre resort. Rudy is just shy of 6 feet tall and a svelte 150 lbs. Unlike Buddy, Rudy is stationary and stands sentinel outside of the main casino valet entrance.

Vice president of public safety for Pechanga Resort & Casino, Robert Krauss, said…

“I had been looking for ways to increase visibility and security on the property. If we are not leaders in the industry we will fall behind and the one place not to fall behind in is security.”

A new perspective:

While most surveillance cameras at Pechanga provide an “overview,” according to Krauss, and a fleet of security staff keep a watchful eye on all aspects of the property, the security robots allow things to be seen from a “different perspective,” said Kraus.

According to the daily newspaper, response to the ADM’s from visitors at Pechanga has been positive, ranging from curiosity to an elevated sense of safety even without knowing exactly what the robot does.

Video, audio and photos taken by the roaming ADM stream 24 hours a day to Pechanga’s security dispatch center. The device also has license plate recognition and thermal imaging technology. Similar functions are also features of the stationary robot.

Communicate a threat:

The Press Enterprise reports that in a phone interview, Executive Vice President for Knightscope, Stacy Stephens said…

“As of late people are talking about active shooter situations and how to bring those situations to some form of resolution. Instead of putting someone in harm’s way, we can potentially send in a robot to communicate with a threat or even help with a benign situation like someone in distress.”

Stephens reportedly also said that one of the company’s robots helped identify a trio of suspects in a smash-and-grab robbery at a store and that others have helped people in parking garages who were having difficulty locating their vehicles find them.

Plans to increase inventory:

Pechanga will be getting five more stationary robots, with one to be posted at every entrance. A smaller roving robot will replace Buddy and be assigned to the new parking structure for patrol duties, said Krauss.

“With what happened at the mass shooting in Las Vegas, we have to be on the cutting edge of safety,” said Krauss. “If people feel safe, they will keep coming back.”

According to the news agency, as of September 3, press time, Twin Arrows Casino Resort in Flagstaff, Arizona, is the only other casino in the U.S. with a Knightscope security robot.