A 14.2-mile interior fence. Tough terrain. Multiple security personnel. Two or three vehicles churned from wear and tear annually. A looming United States Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) audit in jeopardy.

These were the challenges Kia Georgia faced because inspecting its massive fence for damage was as costly as it was time consuming.

The company knew there had to be a better way to examine the fence without having multiple security guards walking or driving around in search of breaches that would need to be repaired in a timely manner.

And then there was the CTPAT self-certification process to worry about. The manufacturing plant — Kia’s only U.S.-based location — is responsible for ensuring that its physical safety items are reliable in order to keep its membership current.

Failure to do so could lead to penalties, such as revoked benefits or removal from the program entirely.

AI drones alleviate patrol burden

In 2022, Kia Georgia partnered with Asylon, Inc., a turnkey robotic perimeter security provider, to alleviate its patrol burden. Even if the company’s drones could inspect 70 to 80 percent of the fence line, Kia would have considered that a success.

Through Asylon’s aerial perimeter security drones — which use artificial intelligence to reduce the load of operators in the robotic security operation center in Norristown, Pa. — the company was able to exceed that on a weekly basis.

“We found that we could do between 80 and 90 percent of the fence most of the time, depending on what kind of movement was going on onsite—and we could do it in a matter of hours, usually two to four, depending on how the day goes,” said Brent McLaughlin, Asylon’s co-founder and chief operating officer.

The drones have not only been able to complete the fence patrols faster, but have also boosted their accuracy.

“Kia will call and tell us ‘You guys pointed out this damaged fence and we walked right by that post four times last week and totally missed it,’” McLaughlin said. “This aerial perspective gives them a whole new vantage point. You can see poles twisted and pointed in different directions that you just can’t see on the ground. It’s been a really big value add for them.”

And the numbers show just how valuable the use of AI drones has been. Asylon completed over 1,000 fence line inspections in the first year alone and has saved Kia $60,000 annually. Also, Kia has been able to remain compliant with the CTPAT requirements thanks to the service Asylon provides.

“The customs border patrol team loves it because it’s all auditable,” said McLaughlin. “There are video records and imagery that are all timestamped, so they can go back and see, ‘Yes, you have been doing this and you do have a program in place to do it.’”