AUSTIN (KXAN) If you’ve strolled around parts of Austin, you may have come across a robot watching you.

About a year ago, CTX Patrol Services, under the leadership of CEO Michael Fallon, began working with Daxbot to deploy these surveillance robots across Austin. The idea was to enhance safety while maintaining a friendly presence.

“They’re a deterrent for mischief. People see them, they’re less likely to do certain things. But they’re also a helper,” Fallon said. “It’s not meant to be intimidating. It’s meant to be a de-escalation and just a friendly object that’s going to basically make things go a little smoother.”

According to security sales lead Mason Reeves at the company Daxbot, the robots are monitored by employees at their control center.

“They’re semi-autonomous, they are oftentimes going on their own—doing tasks on their own— but while we’re watching over them or even taking manual control over them, we have a direct line of video,” Reves said. “There’s a grid of nine or 12 screens on one larger screen [at the control center], and anytime the robot detects a person or an instance that needs to be looked at, the screen lights up.”

Fallon said there have been a couple instances in Austin already where the robot has alerted authorities on a safety risk or fire.

“If you’re in a situation and there’s a weapon or a firearm or something, your first reaction is to get out of there and not stay there—and that’s what I would want for you,” Fallon said. “The operator who’s viewing all this is a thousand miles away so they can react and they can respond as well in a non-emotional, a non-energetic way.”

According to Daxbot’s website, the robot can patrol for eight to 10 hours at a charge and has a cruising speed of 3.7 miles per hour.