ReadySight robot navigates rocks, rugs and all sorts of indoor and outdoor terrain.
For the past two years, I have been working alongside the incredible Company Six team to deliver a reliable, effective and affordable robot that can protect those who protect us. Company Six was built on the notion that personal robots can help people do their jobs better, and can create safer communities by allowing people with dangerous jobs to make better decisions in real-time.
We have learned a lot throughout our journey, and while the road has not been as smooth as we had hoped, we relied on our company core values, namely teamwork, customer focus and innovation to get us through. I’d like to share an example.
Like so many other organizations, Company Six has been dealing with the ramifications of current events that no one could have predicted. The pandemic and other geopolitical forces have delayed delivery and availability of critical components, requiring us to push back the launch of the first ReadySight robot. However, we used this time to conduct more testing and customer discovery on our ReadySight™ robot.
Company Six is dedicated to protecting those who protect us, and values each and every customer. We anticipate the first set of ReadySight robots going into the field this fall with members of our Special Insights Team, and being available to the public soon after. We look forward to hearing your stories of how the ReadySight robot serves you and those you serve.
Sincerely,
Jim Booth
CEO, Company Six
The mission of the Company Six Special Insights Team (SIT) program is to gain the highest level of integration and effectiveness between the CO6 ReadySight™ personal robot and the operations needs of law enforcement and public safety responders. Divided into three phases, CO6 will facilitate the SIT agencies in an in-depth development of physical factors and detailed use-cases identified by SIT agency user groups, conduct field testing of identified use-cases on-site at SIT agency facilities, and from these activities develop draft policies, procedures, and CALEA-compliant accreditation standard elements.
The intended outcome of the SIT program is to identify actual law enforcement officer needs and meet those needs with directed technologies and validated protocols that operate within constitutional, legislative, and agency requirements. The SIT program is also designed to provide agencies who chose to deploy autonomous devices and technologies such as robotics, with a well-validated and tested body of knowledge to present to community constituents upon introduction to agency use.
Timeline: November 1, 2021, through March 31, 2022, Approximate Phases are:
• Phase One: 1st Week through 6th Week
• Phase Two: 7th Week through 14th Week
• Phase Three: TBD
Locations: Special Insights Team Agency Location for phases one and two.
Mission: Phase One is a facilitated process for specific agency operational groups, including Patrol, Traffic, Tactical Operations, Investigations, Explosive Ordinance, and other relevant specialties. During this phase, CO6 facilitators will work with groups to record and rank the user-cases for testing prioritization.
Attendees: Representative groups with common needs, approved by SIT agency management. The ideal group makeup would include field operators, first line supervisors, and unit command, as available, as well as an agency legal advisor for the constitutional and legal segment.
Resources: Classroom setting and schedules to create minimal disruption to agency operations. Video recording for future training operations.
Meeting Outline: Topical areas to be covered:
• Introduction of the CO6 ReadySight personal public safety robot, including features, functions, and operational capabilities.
• Discussion of deployment methods and physical characteristics of mounting, charging, and other infrastructure.
• Presentation of pre-developed use-cases for the group to focus and define deeper “sub-use cases” (e.g., refining the larger category of building searches).
• Discussion of Fourth Amendment related issues that apply to each identified use-case and scenario.
Outcomes: In consultation with SIT agency staff, the results of Phase One will be curated by CO6 law enforcement advisors into demonstrable testing scenarios for Phase Two validation and assessment.
Mission: Phase Two of the SIT program is designed to subject the identified use-case responses and proposed operational capabilities to realistic operational scenarios, evaluate the results, and adjust as indicated. The goal is to identify and rate the effectiveness of proposed uses for the development of protocols, procedures, policies, and training aids.
Attendees: Representative groups with common needs, approved by SIT agency management. The ideal group makeup would include field operators, first line supervisors, and unit command, as available.
Resources: Agency internal resources, such as Academy and Tactical Training sites. External resources for application-specific testing and development of training videos and scripts.
Meeting Outline: Operational tests to be covered:
• Testing plan to optimize personnel time to cover the selected test scripts and locations.
• Test each prioritized use-case with the typical agency response staffing, including joint operations between patrol and tactical operators, EOD and other specialized groups. Include investigations personnel for scenarios that relate to surveillance, search warrant service, and other related activities.
• Immediate debrief of testing group and any designated observers, repeat operations as necessary.
• CO6 law enforcement facilitators will record the input and operational recommendations. Outcomes: As many of the use-case scenarios as possible, given the allotted time and staff availability. As with Phase One, Phase Two scenarios will be re-prioritized according to the testing results and SIT agency input.
Mission: Phase Three of the SIT program is intended to analyze the data captured in Phases One and Two, and create draft protocols, procedures, and standards to aid the SIT agencies in updating current policies on the operations of autonomous deices, specifically robotics.
Attendees: This work will largely be off-site, with some remote and on-site meetings to discuss operational and legal issues.
Resources: SIT agency supervisors and managers to review and respond to CO6 findings.
Meeting Outline: To be determined.
Outcomes: Comprehensive documentation for agency manuals, public information announcements, and liability mitigation.