Cobalt Robotics Inc. yesterday announced that it is expanding its implementation with Ally Financial. The company said its robots will help secure Ally's facilities, keep employees safe, mitigate labor shortages, and save money.
“Ally is a terrific example of an enterprise using our AI-powered robots to run a more cost-efficient, secure business,” said Mike LeBlanc, chief operating officer and president of Cobalt Robotics.
“We are thrilled to expand our relationship with Ally and help them make their offices smarter and safer for their team members,” he added. “Ally has really leveraged our robots’ current capabilities, and as those capabilities expand, we look forward to partnering with Ally in shaping the workplace of the future.”
Cobalt Robotics claimed that its integrated service “unifies state-of-the-art robotics, machine learning software, and expert human oversight.” The Fremont, Calif.-based company provides 24/7 support, and its customers include leading enterprises such as Slack.
Ally Financial banks on automation
Detroit-based Ally Financial said it is “the nation's largest all-digital bank an industry-leading auto financing business.” Like many companies, Ally turned to automation to address a shortage of labor, particularly for security officer positions.
As people returned to offices after COVID-19, the business began deploying Cobalt robots for security patrols and facility maintenance checks in its office in Charlotte, N.C. It reported a strong return on investment (ROI) within the first several weeks.
In one incident, Cobalt read high levels of carbon monoxide in a secured parking structure while pressure washing was occurring. The robot alerted the security operations center (SOC), which in turn alerted the building engineers to remediate the issue.
In another incident even before full deployment, a Cobalt robot located a vendor that was not vetted to be onsite and alerted the SOC. An officer was dispatched, and the unauthorized vendor was removed from the site.
Results lead to more Cobalt robots
Based on the success of its implementation in Charlotte, N.C., Ally has now brought Cobalt robots to its offices in Jacksonville, Fla. The company plans ot roll out robots to its offices in Lewisville, Texas, later this year.
“A Cobalt robot saves us two-thirds the cost of a security officer, and they help staff during this difficult time,” said Bill Davis, senior director of physical security at Ally’s Charlotte office. “After seeing such great results in Charlotte, the team is excited to implement the Cobalt robots at more Ally offices throughout 2023.”
Ally is also exploring using the Cobalt robot’s thermal camera to detect space heaters left on overnight, which could create a fire hazard.
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