Asylon

What’s the best way to safeguard a one million square foot facility? For an increasing number of companies like GXO Logistics, the answer lies in automated robotic security. Rather than scaling up on-foot patrols and surveillance cameras, the global logistics provider turned to a less conventional method to monitor certain major distribution centers in the US. Today, GXO uses advanced air and ground security robotics – a combination of aerial drones and robot dogs – to protect its people and assets round-the-clock.

Asylon’s high-tech DroneSentry and DroneDog systems carry out automated observe-and-report patrols for customers like GXO, alerting key stakeholders about potential security breaches and issues in real time. Equipped with thermal and electro-optical cameras, drones take off from their DroneHome and fly over the property to deliver an eye-in-the-sky patrol presence before docking to swap batteries automatically. On the ground, they’re supported by remotely operated DroneDogs, which sweep the perimeter while also sending live footage back to the security operations center hundreds to thousands of miles away.

“A few years ago, we went to a conference for drones,” said Asylon’s co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Adam Mohamed. “There were hundreds of them, all looking pretty identical, yet it wasn’t clear how they would be used in the real world. Our vision was to design the infrastructure so that uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) could be used for good. The aim was to automate dull, dirty and dangerous missions. We saw that infrastructure was the missing piece of the puzzle to enable this. And it’s really this unique initial approach to build all the back-end hardware, software and infrastructure that has allowed us to jump years ahead from a regulatory, testing, and operational tempo perspective. We’ve completed tens of thousands of customer missions already and that number is growing every day.”

Thanks to Asylon, GXO operates one of the largest air and ground security robotics fleets in the world, with well over 12,000 reported alarm response and patrol missions completed. As demand for the company’s comprehensive security services grows, Asylon needed a platform capable of handling all product development and streamlining compliance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations on UAS design.

“Our previous systems weren’t sufficient for what our customers really needed for scale,” Mohamed said. “The 3DEXPERIENCE® platform is the ideal solution for bringing all our teams together within a single environment and delivering what we need to push the boundaries of aerospace and automation.”

Founded by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) engineers, Asylon’s roots are in the aerospace industry. Its systems are designed, engineered, manufactured, operated and serviced from its headquarters in Norristown, Pennsylvania.

“Safety and reliability are our key pillars,” Mohamed said. “We take that rigor and ethos all the way through our business. The 3DEXPERIENCE platform is one part in which we’ve created scalable, repeatable and reliable development processes within the aerospace industry. This helps us with compliance as we work closely with the FAA.”

As part of its requirements, Asylon needed a private cloud to host the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, which its technology partner TECHNIA delivered.

“We wanted all the benefits of being ‘on cloud,’ particularly in terms of not having to maintain a server infrastructure,” Mohamed explained. “But because of the nature of what we do and the types of organizations we serve, we’re very specific about where we host our data. Thanks to TECHNIA, we have our own private cloud to ensure data integrity for customers.”

Asylon’s automated security solutions are suitable for all manner of industries, covering commercial and government entities from manufacturing and government facilities to large warehouses. Critically, to ensure its customers get the most from the technology, the company provides a complete security service, combining configured hardware (aerial drones and robot dogs) and software (its DroneIQ command and control platform) to enable remote command and control to act as a force multiplier for security teams.

“We take a holistic approach,” Mohamed said. “We sit down with customers to understand their pain points and learn what security features they need. If we just sold our drones, they could easily end up gathering dust on a shelf. So instead we provide an end-to-end security as a service, all packaged up within the DroneCore Robotic Perimeter Security platform.”

Asylon uses CATIA to design its drones and battery-swapping infrastructure as well as the PupPack and DogHouse that enables Spot from Boston Dynamics to carry out security roles. All hardware is constantly refined and configured to suit each customer’s specific requirements.

“CATIA is designed to create an entire aircraft, so for us it’s the ideal tool,” Mohamed said. “Take our base station with the automated battery slot. It’s a ballet of robotic systems that must all work seamlessly together. And then we have multiple variants and payloads, as well as all the moving parts on the drone with its various mechanical subsystems. We must be able to see each part we’re designing within the context of the entire system. To be able to do all that within CATIA is invaluable.”

To small businesses like Asylon, one of the most important resources is time. Core ways to gain time are through effective communication and operational efficiencies.

Today, through the ENOVIA app on the platform, all divisions within Asylon can securely access the insights they need to carry out their roles effectively. The goal is to make it easier for departments outside of engineering to get hold of technical data quickly. The 3DEXPERIENCE platform helps all stakeholders feel empowered to review designs and bring their own insights to the table, helping to catch pain points and break down barriers from one development stage to the next.

“We now carry out holistic design reviews, enabling the Engineering team to get early feedback from our Operations and Field Maintenance teams,” Mohamed explained. “With the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, we have all the information we need on hand to quickly identify any issues and catch them prior to build. It takes any guesswork out of the process and makes us faster.”

With tens of thousands of customer missions under its belt, Asylon continues to push the boundaries of what its robotic security technology can do.

“We’re taking concerted steps to ramp up our operations,” Mohamed said. “We have had a 100% year-over-year increase in missions and are nearing the 40,000 mark. Drone years are like dog years on steroids, you have to be able to innovate quickly and reliably.”

Already, the company is saving significant time across its development processes and accelerating its innovation cycles.

“We’re saving hours every week,” Mohamed said. “We’re replicating workflows and delivering a uniform product every single time.”

For Asylon, this is just the beginning for where its business is heading.

“We’re growing fast, and rapid iteration and innovation means we can continue to do more and more for customers,” Mohamed concluded. “There’s a real sense of excitement around what we’re doing, and we see a great deal of value in the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Everyone across the business is motivated to use this new tool better.”