Drones and robots are headed to ISC West 2017

LAS VEGAS—Drones and robots will have a notable presence at ISC West 2017 with the show's inaugural Unmanned Security Expo @ ISC West.

Incorporating this new technology fits ISC West's development. “This is part of our regular process here at ISC. We always look at the show as a constantly evolving entity. We never want to deliver the exact same event year after year. We want to constantly be on the forefront with new technology and really reflecting the future of the industry,” Sherida Sessa, industry vice president for ISC Events, told Security Systems News.

The Unmanned Security Expo will have its own section of the show floor, marked by banners and different colored carpeting. The area will feature a “flying cage” that allows ground-based robots and aerial drones to display their movement capabilities. The expo currently has about 30 exhibitors, according to Sessa, with more still joining as of mid-March.

In the very early phases of the Unmanned Security Expo, ISC West was looking primarily at aerial drones. “We've learned that really it goes much further than that and, so, the Unmanned Security Expo reflects that,” said Sessa. “It's not just the drones in the air—although that is a significant portion of it. There's a nice selection of ground robots … as well as all of the software and applications that support those products.”

“As important as drones are, the anti-drone products and the anti-drone software is extremely important as well,” Sessa continued.

Education will be another component of the expo, addressing topics such as anti-drone technologies and drone use in law enforcement. “To complement the exhibits we will actually have an education stage that'll be in that area, offering free 45 minute sessions,” Sessa said. This will be the first time ISC West is offering free education, she noted, which “shows how important we think this information is.”

These technologies will bring a new benefit to ISC West attendees. “The end user side is definitely a factor at ISC West and … these products have real opportunity to alleviate the human [beings] that are potentially either in very repetitive or very dangerous types of situations,” Sessa said.

There's also opportunity present at the expo for traditional dealers and installers, she continued. “These end users don't fully know how to apply the technology, so they're looking for guidance and they're looking for someone who can come in and really assist them.”