Police drones are scaling, patrol robots arrive bundled with software, and lawmakers draw lines on imports, facial recognition and armed machines. See what changed and plan with The Humanoid Group.
What moved in security robotics this year.
4.6 min median drone response in a Maryland police trial, vs 12.3 for patrol (University of South Carolina, 2026)
1,000+ agencies approved for FAA public-safety drone waivers since April 2025 (DroneXL, 2026)
4.4M autonomous hours logged by Knightscope robots in the field, it says (Business Wire, Knightscope, 2026)
50 facial recognition vans planned for police in England and Wales (UK Home Office, 2026)
Knightscope previews one contract for robots, software and agents at GSX
· Launch
Ahead of the GSX show in Atlanta, Knightscope said it will present its K5 and new K7 robots, K1 fixed units, a wearable prototype and its Signals command software as one service under a single contract. It reports 434 clients in 42 states and over 4.4 million autonomous hours.
Why it matters: Buyers increasingly want one accountable provider for robots, cameras and response staff. When comparing patrol robots, ask who runs the software, who monitors alerts and who answers when something goes wrong.
Maryland police trial: drones reached calls in a median 4.6 minutes, patrol in 12.3
· Research
Researcher Scott Mourtgos shared early results of a randomized trial with Montgomery County Police, covering 652 drone deployments from December 2025 to April 2026. Drones arrived first 74% of the time when both were sent, and 19.5% of deployments needed no in-person officer response.
Why it matters: Randomized evidence on drone response is rare. Sites weighing drone docks can borrow the method: measure response time and avoided call-outs first, the same logic as a scoped pilot on The Humanoid Group.
FCC seeks comment on barring new foreign thermal, LiDAR and docking-station drones
· Policy
The US Federal Communications Commission opened comment on a proposal to stop imports and sales of new foreign-made drones in several military-grade categories, including thermal imaging, LiDAR and docking stations. Drones customers already own would not be affected, and some exemptions were extended to 1 January 2028.
Why it matters: Thermal payloads and drone-in-a-box docks are core security tools, so fleet plans should check where aircraft and docks are made. Existing fleets stay legal, but replacements and expansions may need another supplier.
Amended Surveillance Camera Code of Practice— Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner, GOV.UK. Twelve principles that police, councils and other relevant authorities in England and Wales must consider when running cameras.
Face Technology Evaluations (FRTE/FATE)— National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). NIST's ongoing independent tests of face recognition and face analysis algorithms, with published results.
Subcommittee E54.09 on Response Robots— ASTM International. The ASTM group writing test methods for ground and aerial response robots: mobility, sensing, radio links and manipulation.