We live in some volatile times and homeowners are bumping up their home security needs. We are constantly seeing new DIY security options, as well as professional security systems, pop up and get more advanced.
But is there another option, outside of door sensors and motion cameras? What about home security robots? Yes, these actually do already exist.
Let’s take a look at some of my top picks if you are considering a home security robot.
Be honest, the above image is the first thing that popped into your mind when I started talking about security robots, rights? That is totally fine. Me too.
As cool as it would be to have some Robocop style robots patrolling your home; you’d need a very big house as well as a pretty large bank account.
What Are The Benefits Of Home Security Robots?
Safety and Security – I know that is a bit obvious, but clearly the main reason you would consider a home security robot is to secure your home and keep it and your family safe.
Much like a door sensor, motion light, or camera, a security robot is set up to alert you if there is motion, a loud noise, or other unusual activity.
Knowing that someone, or something, his roaming your halls, ready to alert you of anything that shouldn’t be there can really help give homeowners peace of mind.
Appbot Riley 2.0
Riley is a smart robot from the company Pado that you can control from your phone anywhere in the world. Using WIFI and the internet, you can use Riley to check out suspicious activity in your home, yell at your pet to get off the furniture, and much more.
Ways To Use Riley In Your Home
- Check to see if you locked the door.
- Make sure the stove is turned off.
- Check in on your dog to make sure he isn’t on the couch.
- Get motion alerts directly from Riley.
- Investigate any motion alerts from Riley or other home security systems.
- Spy on your kids to make sure they aren’t playing games when they should be in bed.
- Use the two-way microphone to talk to people, or pets, in the house.
- Treat him like a member of the family or at least a cool tool for your kids!
Riley comes with durable rubber tracks that allow him to move seamlessly from carpet, hardwood floors, over rugs and more. His camera and sensors also keep him from falling off stairs or running into items in your home.
Riley’s rubber tracks can be removed and replaced with different color options.
Riley will self-dock and recharge his battery when needed. From his charging station he can still work as a motion detector and security camera.
What Comes With The Riley Home Security Robot
- Appbot Riley
- Charging Station
- A Power Adapte
- Micro USB Cable
- User Guide for Android and IOS
You can grab your own Appbot Riley on Amazon for about $160.
What You’ll Like About The Appbot Riley
- Sleek design. Riley is a cool looking robot.
- Quality 5 MP HD camera that really does capture nice video.
- Decent night vision IR.
- Reasonable price tag.
- Motion detection works really well.
- Self-docking.
What You Might Not Like About Riley
- You have to control Riley, he doesn’t just patrol your home.
- The self-docking, while nice, doesn’t always work if Riley isn’t close to the dock.
Final Thoughts on Appbot Riley
In my personal opinion, Riley is a very cool robot that is a novelty item to have in your house. He does have some very cool features, but I do not really consider him a security robot in the sense that most people are probably thinking of.
Yes, he can be used for motion detection and as a security camera, but you pretty much have to determine where he goes and what he does.
I would think of Riley as more of a cool toy or gadget that you and your family will have fun with and enjoy.
Lynx Amazon Alexa Enabled Robot
Lynx is the latest and greatest in the home robotics security arena from the online retail giant. As with most things from Amazon, Lynx home security robot comes with full Alexa capabilities.
Lynx is a more sophisticated than the Riley robot. Lynx is also controlled via your phone, but he is capable of doing so more more.
What You’ll Like About Lynx
- Avatar mode allows you to see and speak through the Lynx Robot.
- Alexa Enabled.
- Lynx can understand and perform certain voice commands.
- 1080P Camera is very good.
- Facial detection.
- Great surveillance mode for when you aren’t home. Lynx motion detectors work very well and instantly start recording a 30-second video.
- Lynx can snap photos on command. They are pretty high quality.
What You Might Not Like About Lynx
- Kind of clumsy.
- Being pretty innovative, you run into some shortfalls on the programming. Lynx is very cool, but probably isn’t ready for most homes yet.
- Battery life isn’t great.
Final Thoughts Ubtech Lynx Robot
Having an Amazon Alexa enabled robot is a very cool idea. However, I think Ubtech was a bit early on this. Lynx has a lot of potential, but they need to work out some of the bugs first.
I found Lynx to be rather cumbersome and even clumsy at time. With a $800 price tag I would be very worried that Lynx will fall down the steps or do something else to break himself.
In the end, Lynx is still a toy first and a home security robot second.
Currently you can only get Lynx via Amazon, but as of the writing of this article, all Lynx models are currently unavailable.
SuperDroid Security and Patrol Robots
Now we are talking about real security robots and not just toys for your home. SuperDroid makes a plethora of robotics solutions. You can kind of build them to taste, whether you need them to patrol your hallways or surveil your backyard.
The SuperDroid security robots are traditionally purchased by people who want to secure commercial properties, but that doesn’t mean you couldn’t use them for home security.
What is nice about how SuperDroid sells their robots – you select the frame and then you can add all the extra that you want on your security robot. You can had a reaching claw, more cameras, motions sensors, etc.
This always you to build a very sophisticated and affective home security robot.
Unlike most home security robots on this list, the SuperDroid robots use a remote control instead of an app on your smart device. You can view that as a pro or a con.
What You’ll Like About SuperDroid Robots
- Fun to build your robot to fit your needs.
- Customizable.
- Quality surveillance cameras and with HD recording.
- Manual and surveillance modes.
- Heavy duty wheels or tracks to easy maneuver over all terrains.
- Long range signal for remote.
- Most models are weatherproof.
What You Might Not Like
- Hefty price tag. Models are customizable, but you are still looking at at least $1500-$2000 for most models.
Final Thoughts on SuperDroid Robots
There is no question that the robots from SuperDroid are much better equipped for security and surveillance than others on this list. But, you obviously have to pay for those cool features that come with the robots.
These patrol and security robots seem to be more focused towards outdoor surveillance, but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t cruise around your hallways at night looking for intruders.
They would definitely be a great tool if you have a large farm. Who needs a sheep dog when you can have a robot watching for coyotes and other predators.
Erector Spykee Robot
Commonly known as “the spy robot,” Spykee comes ready to be assembled in your home. There are several configurations, so you can get set up the robot however you see fit.
Spykee uses wifi and even Skype, so you can look in on your home from anywhere in the world. You do need to download certain software updates to keep Spykee running smoothly.
Spykee works through your computer, so he isn’t the best option if you are hoping to get live updates to your mobile device. You can be notified by email, which is basically the same as getting a phone alert now days.
It would be nice to see a quality app or mobile control set up for this home security robot.
What You’ll Like About Spykee
- High quality camera for snapping pics and sending them to your email.
- Self-docking when in need of a charge.
- Can play music.
- Fun to assemble.
- Very quiet operation.
What You Might Not Like About Spykee
- Some people might not enjoy the setup process, which does take time.
- Doesn’t have a good app or mobile interface.
- Software updates are required on your computer to stay up-to-date.
Final Thoughts On Spykee The Spy Robot
Spykee is a cool concept, but probably a bit dated. The fact that you need to control him through your computer is a bit archaic.
His camera is decent quality and you can record decent video and snap some quality images with it.
In the end, I still think Spykee works better as a toy or fun hobby, as opposed to a quality solution for home security.
Ring’s Always Home Flying Security Drone
This one isn’t technically a robot, but it is an autonomous flying drone, which is pretty cool.
So basically, this can be added to your suite of Ring security devices that you already have in your home. If someone sets off one of the door or window sensors, the drone is alerted and goes into surveillance mode.
The HD camera will record whatever it sees inside your house and send it to your smartphone, just like every other camera in the Ring home security lineup.
The Always Home Drone will be for sale in 2021 with a reasonable price tag of around $250. Not too bad for some cool and futuristic tech!
Final Thoughts On Home Security Robots
So, if you made it this far, you can probably tell that I don’t really feel we are there yet, as far as home security robots go.
There are some cool options in existence, but most of the products out there make better toys or fun gadgets first, and a home security robot at a distant second.
With the exception of perhaps the SuperDroid, which is actually made for patrol and surveillance, nothing else on this list is really smart enough or advanced enough to keep your home safe without a lot of work and oversight on your part.
I am interested to see how sales go with the new Ring Always Home Drone. It is a neat concept, but I also don’t know how people will feel about a camera flying around the inside of their home.
What do you think? Would you purchase and use any of the home security robots from this list? If so, let me know which ones or if there are others you have tried out and liked. Thanks for reading and please share this article if you found it helpful or fun!
