Patrol Robot Comparison: QR-1, QR-2, QR-3 in Operational Use

A plant manager with 18 hectares of outdoor terrain has different requirements than a logistics manager with three covered halls. Anyone procuring autonomous security robots should first measure the site, then choose the sensors. Not the other way around. This patrol robot comparison sets out the three QR configurations, names the monthly cost, and identifies the limits of each model.

Patrol Robot Comparison: What Matters Operationally

Selection rarely fails on hardware. It fails on incorrect matching of sensors to terrain.

Five criteria decide the outcome:

• Sensor depth defines the use case. An RGB camera is enough for a warehouse. A solar park at night needs thermal sensors. A substation needs radar drone detection. Marketing terms like "AI-supported" say nothing about pixel depth or spectral range.
• Outdoor suitability is not binary. IP-65 is the minimum threshold. Without thermal detection and bad-weather algorithms (rain, fog, snow drift), the detection rate at night falls below 60 percent.
• Range per patrol must match the size of the property. 5 hectares and 40 hectares are different worlds. A robot with 8 km daily range covers 5 hectares with route redundancy. At 25 hectares, two units are needed, or a larger battery.
• Integration depth with the existing control room decides acceptance. If the guard team has to operate a separate tablet, usage drops after three weeks. Interfaces to Lenel, Genetec, Milestone, or an existing video management platform are mandatory.
• Contract model changes the calculation. CapEx with €180,000 acquisition cost and 5-year depreciation behaves differently than RaaS at €3,500 per month. The difference is a factor of 4 to 6 over the first 24 months, depending on maintenance, software updates, and sensor renewal.

QR-1: Indoor and Light Outdoor

The QR-1 is the entry model. It covers covered and partially covered areas.

Sensors. RGB camera at 4K resolution, omnidirectional audio with glass-break and shouting detection, motion detection up to 15-meter radius. No thermal sensors. No LiDAR map.

Use case. Warehouses, office campuses, underground parking, logistics centres with covered areas. During daylight, also light outdoor areas up to 2 hectares with good illumination.

Range. Up to 8 km patrol distance per shift. 90-minute charge time at the docking station. For a standard hall with 800-meter route length, the QR-1 completes ten passes per shift.

Price. €3,200 per month under the RaaS model with a 24-month minimum term. Includes maintenance, software updates, and hardware replacement on defect.

Limits. Not suitable for pure outdoor perimeters above 5 hectares, for night operations without lighting, or for KRITIS sectors with drone risk. Anyone monitoring a plant site at night needs the QR-2.

QR-2: 24/7 Outdoor with Thermal Sensors

The QR-2 is the standard case for industrial outdoor areas. The QR-2 outdoor configuration covers areas where a classical guard post typically requires three shifts.

Sensors. Thermal imaging at 640×512 pixels, person detection in full darkness, IP-65 protection class. Bad-weather algorithms with rain compensation and fog filter. Audio sensors with frequency detection for gunshots and glass breakage.

Use case. Industrial parks, solar parks, logistics yards, plant sites up to 25 hectares. The robot identifies a person in full darkness at 80-meter distance and triggers a pre-alarm to the control room.

Range. 12 km patrol distance per shift. At an 18-hectare solar park with 4 km perimeter fence, the QR-2 completes three full circuits per shift plus randomised internal routes.

Price. €3,500 per month under the RaaS model. Compared to €18,000 to €22,000 for a comparable 24/7 guard post under the BDSW tariff. Delivery within 48 hours, onboarding with the existing guard service in 14 days.

Details on the structure and tariff bands of the German security industry are available in the BDSW figures, data, facts.

QR-3: KRITIS Configuration with LiDAR and Drone Detection

The QR-3 is the configuration for operators of critical facilities. Anyone covered by the KRITIS Umbrella Act (KRITIS-Dachgesetz) cannot avoid audit requirements. The QR-3 for KRITIS operators delivers the protocol depth needed for this.

Sensors. 360° LiDAR with 100-meter range, radar drone detection up to 500 meters, thermal sensors, redundant person detection with two independent detection paths. If one sensor fails, the second takes over without interrupting the patrol.

Use case. Energy producers, water utilities, data centres, hospitals under the KRITIS-Dachgesetz. Pharmaceutical production with drone risk. Substations. All sectors above the threshold per BSI-KritisV.

Audit capability. Every incident is documented in BSI-compliant form: timestamp, GPS position, raw sensor data, classification decision, alert path. Records are exportable as PDF and JSON for §8a BSIG evidence.

Price. €3,800 per month, including the reporting template for §8a BSIG evidence and quarterly audit support.

Recommendation. Mandatory for operators of critical facilities with NIS-2 obligations from 2025. The thresholds are set in the BSI-KritisV. The duty catalogue follows from the KRITIS-Dachgesetz draft, Bundestag-Drucksache 20/9262 and from Article 21 of the NIS-2 Directive. The standard EN ISO 13482 governs the functional safety of mobile platforms.

An overview of the concrete operator duties is set out in KRITIS-Dachgesetz requirements.

Comparison with Classical Guard Service

The comparison between robot patrol and human guard is not academic. It decides six-figure budgets.

• A 24/7 guard post costs between €15,000 and €25,000 per month according to BDSW data. The range results from the Manteltarifvertrag, night and Sunday surcharges, sick-leave rate, and §34a qualification.
• The QR-2 covers the same outdoor perimeter at €3,500 per month. The ratio runs between 1:4 and 1:7.
• Hybrid model: one human patrol vehicle plus two robots replaces three 24/7 posts. Monthly cost about €14,000 instead of €60,000.
• The sick-leave and turnover risk of the guard team is removed for the robot shift. With a typical rate of 8 percent sickness and 22 percent turnover in the guard sector, that is an operational factor.
• TCO difference over 36 months typically falls between €380,000 and €620,000 per replaced full post.

A detailed breakdown with tariff calculation and shift model is available in the cost comparison to classical guard service.

Selection Matrix by Sector

The configuration decision reduces to five terrain types:

• Logistics with covered halls below 5 ha: QR-1 is sufficient. RGB and audio cover theft, break-in, and sabotage in hall context. €3,200 per month.
• Chemical park, solar park, plant site 5 to 25 ha: QR-2 is the standard case. Thermal sensors make the difference at night and in bad weather. €3,500 per month. A practical example is described in the article perimeter protection in industrial parks.
• Energy utility, hospital, data centre with KRITIS status: QR-3 mandatory due to audit requirements under §8a BSIG and NIS-2 Article 21. €3,800 per month.
• Mixed terrain (hall plus outdoor): QR-1 plus QR-2 combination at €6,700 per month. The QR-1 covers the hall, the QR-2 the perimeter. Handover zones are synchronised in software.
• Drone risk (substation, pharmaceutical production, research facility): QR-3 indispensable. Only radar drone detection identifies unauthorised UAVs before they enter the airspace above the facility.

Robotics-as-a-Service: Contract Structure and Risk Allocation

The Robotics-as-a-Service model is the most common procurement route because it shifts the residual-value risk from operator to manufacturer.

• No CapEx, monthly OpEx, 24-month minimum contract term. Booked as a service, not as a fixed asset. This removes the capitalisation discussion with the auditor.
• Maintenance, software updates, sensor calibration included in the rental price. Quarterly on-site calibration of the thermal sensors. Software updates over the air.
• Downtime over 4 hours: replacement unit on site within 24 hours. Service level agreement with penalties on breach.
• Compliance maintenance for changes to the KRITIS-Dachgesetz included. If the BSI-KritisV thresholds change or NIS-2 is sharpened, the reporting template is adjusted.
• Termination option after 24 months without residual book value risk. In case of site closure or repurposing, no disposal problem.

The full price grid with volume discounts from the third unit onward is set out in the three-tier pricing.

Decision Path in 14 Days

The procurement process is standardised. Starting on day 1, live operation runs on day 14.

• Day 1 to 3: site walkthrough with the security manager and definition of patrol routes. Recording of blind spots, sight lines, charging locations. Output: route plan and sensor requirement profile.
• Day 4 to 7: selection of configuration (QR-1, QR-2, or QR-3) based on sensor requirements. Alignment with budget and multi-year plan. Output: offer letter with fixed monthly price.
• Day 8 to 10: contract, GDPR assessment with the data protection officer, works council coordination. Codetermination applies because camera technology is involved. A works agreement on purpose limitation of recordings is mandatory.
• Day 11 to 14: delivery, control-room training (4 hours theory, 4 hours practice), live operation. The guard team receives access to the robot dashboard with alert forwarding to existing devices.
• Pilot phase over 60 days with defined KPIs: detection rate (target above 95 percent), false-positive rate (target below 5 percent), response time from detection to alert in the control room (target below 8 seconds). After 60 days, pilot review with route adjustment option.

Anyone with a concrete site plan or seeking an initial assessment on QR-1, QR-2, or QR-3 can request the site check directly: request site assessment.