Table of Contents
A successful robotic security deployment — whether you're deploying Ghost Robotics Vision 60, Asylon DroneDog, Asylon Guardian, or Boston Dynamics Spot for security applications — requires coordination across facilities, IT, operations, and security teams before any hardware arrives on-site. Deployment day failures are almost always caused by pre-deployment gaps, not hardware problems.
This checklist covers the workstreams that must be complete before deployment day at any industrial facility in Texas, Louisiana, or Oklahoma. It is organized by responsible party so each team knows exactly what they own. Actel Robotics uses this checklist for every security robotics deployment we manage from our Sugar Land, TX headquarters.
Before Deployment Day: The 12 Workstreams
Think of pre-deployment preparation as 12 parallel workstreams, each owned by a different team. Deployment day can begin only when all 12 are complete. The most common deployment delays we see come from workstream 4 (network connectivity) and workstream 7 (patrol route approvals) — both of which take longer than teams initially estimate.
A well-run pre-deployment period takes 4–8 weeks for a single-facility deployment. Multi-facility programs benefit from running pre-deployment activities in parallel across facilities, staggered by 1–2 weeks to allow the Actel installation team to sequence their on-site time.
Facilities Team Checklist
Site Preparation
- ☐ Patrol route fully mapped and physically walked — all obstructions, gate widths, and terrain changes documented
- ☐ Minimum path clearance confirmed (DroneDog requires 36" minimum; Guardian requires clear airspace above patrol zone)
- ☐ All gates and access points on the patrol route assessed for robot passage — modifications identified
- ☐ Slope grades on patrol route documented — DroneDog handles up to 30° slopes; flag anything steeper
Charging Infrastructure
- ☐ DogHouse / DroneHome base station location confirmed — level pad, minimum 8×8 ft clear area
- ☐ Power access at base station location confirmed — 120V/20A circuit within 25 ft
- ☐ Weatherproof conduit path for power run identified and approved
- ☐ Network connectivity at base station confirmed — CAT6 run or cellular coverage assessment complete
- ☐ Any required permits for base station installation obtained (local jurisdiction check complete)
Safety and Access
- ☐ Safety induction materials prepared for Actel deployment team (PPE requirements, hazard communication)
- ☐ No-entry zones documented and physically marked — areas where robot should not patrol
- ☐ Lighting assessment complete for night operations — robot cameras are rated for low-light but confirm thermal coverage in dark zones
- ☐ Weather exposure assessment — confirm no HVAC discharge, steam vents, or flooding zones on patrol route
IT Team Checklist
Network and Connectivity
- ☐ SSID and credentials prepared for robot network connection (dedicated IoT VLAN recommended)
- ☐ Cellular signal strength assessment at patrol perimeter complete (LTE for remote/weak WiFi areas)
- ☐ Firewall rules reviewed and approved for robot-to-cloud telemetry (Asylon/Ghost Robotics IP ranges)
- ☐ Bandwidth allocation confirmed — video streaming requires 2–5 Mbps per robot per active mission
- ☐ Network redundancy plan documented (what happens if primary connection drops during patrol)
Integrations and Systems
- ☐ Existing CCTV/VMS integration documented — API access or RTSP feed credentials prepared
- ☐ Access control system integration assessed — badge events for correlated incident reporting
- ☐ Alert routing configured — who gets notified (phone, email, RSOC escalation), via what channel, at what thresholds
- ☐ RSOC user accounts created — operations contacts registered in Asylon/Ghost Robotics management platform
- ☐ IT security review complete — robot network access approved by information security team
- ☐ Mobile app access configured for security supervisors who need real-time robot status
Operations & Security Team Checklist
Staff Preparation
- ☐ All security personnel briefed on robot capabilities, patrol schedule, and visual appearance
- ☐ Guard force told explicitly not to interfere with robot patrol routes (common cause of false alerts)
- ☐ Night shift personnel specifically briefed — thermal camera footage explained, robot lights in darkness explained
- ☐ Maintenance and facilities staff briefed — know to expect robot on site, not to block patrol routes
Procedures and Escalation
- ☐ Incident response workflow defined — who gets an alert, what do they do, when do they call law enforcement
- ☐ RSOC escalation protocol documented — phone numbers, expected response time, escalation authority
- ☐ Robot malfunction procedure defined — what to do if robot stops mid-patrol
- ☐ On-call contact identified for 30-day post-go-live support window
CFATS-Regulated Facilities (Additional Steps)
- ☐ TSA Chemical Security Inspector notified before deployment — coordinate how robotic patrol fits within approved SSP
- ☐ Site Security Plan amendment filed if patrol documentation methodology changes materially
- ☐ GPS-verified patrol log retention policy documented — how long records are kept, who can access
- ☐ CFATS patrol frequency requirement confirmed — confirm robotic program meets or exceeds required rounds
Go-Live Validation Checklist (Deployment Day)
- ☐ Robot powers on and connects to network — confirm RSOC sees device in management platform
- ☐ Walk full patrol route with robot on manual control — verify no unexpected obstructions
- ☐ Autonomous test patrol completed — review path accuracy, gate navigation, base station return
- ☐ Camera feeds confirmed — RSOC team verifies real-time video quality day and night
- ☐ Alert test triggered — confirm alert routing reaches the right contacts in under 60 seconds
- ☐ Battery charge cycle confirmed — robot depletes to threshold, returns to dock, charges, relaunches
- ☐ Patrol logs verified in management platform — GPS track, timestamps, video archive accessible
- ☐ Security supervisor app access confirmed — real-time status visible on mobile
- ☐ Incident escalation test run — RSOC staff test escalation path end-to-end
- ☐ Written sign-off from operations manager, IT lead, and security director
Deployment Timeline Reference
Use this timeline as a planning reference for your deployment kickoff meeting with Actel Robotics:
Actel Robotics manages the complete deployment from our Sugar Land, Texas headquarters. We serve Greater Houston, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. For facilities along the Ship Channel corridor (Deer Park, La Porte, Pasadena, Texas City), we have specific experience with CFATS coordination and can advise on SSP documentation for robotic security programs.