California start-up Sauron has come out of stealth to launch a home security system that identifies and responds immediately to threats.

The system is powered by a combination of AI-driven intelligence, sensors and human expertise to create a protective shield around a home.

“Sauron has built the best security system on the planet, integrating multi-modal 3D perception, audio and natural language, and unmatched human expertise, to provide a comprehensive understanding of any scene around the home,” said Kevin Hartz, co-founder and chairman of Sauron. “With Sauron, we’re not just enhancing security, we’re redefining what it means to feel safe at home. Our platform doesn’t just see, it understands, protects and responds in ways no other system can.”

Some legacy home security providers offer outdated and fragmented products, delivering unreliable hardware and software experiences. Given the high false-positive rates of these systems, police departments often delay their response to alarms. For homeowners, this deprioritisation of alerts, combined with an already understaffed police force, creates a dangerous situation.

Whereas prior security systems have served as passive monitoring, Sauron goes beyond witnessing a crime to preventing it actively. The platform uses a camera-based 3D perception system complemented by other sensing modalities such as lidar, thermal and radar. The sensor pods are mounted on the exterior of the house, providing live 360-degree awareness and total comprehension of the action on the perimeter at all times.

In contrast with a matrix of video screens, Sauron reimagines the experience of interacting with a security system, providing a real-time 3D view of the home. To achieve this, the platform uses multi-modal sensor fusion, combining high resolution camera images with lidar, radar, thermal and other sensors for all-weather performance.

Deterrence features, from talk-down speakers to actuated spotlights, intercept criminals, making them aware they are being monitored and should leave.

To complement the technology, Sauron leverages its intelligent response and intrusion suppression (Iris) command centre, staffed round the clock by trained agents with backgrounds in law enforcement, military service, executive protection and other security fields. The team builds relationships with local police departments to ensure a rapid response to verified security incidents.

The user will be alerted to anything important without distraction by irrelevant information or spurious notifications. Sauron provides a bespoke white-glove service, ensuring each client’s security platform is installed with precision and care, swiftly and without disrupting the comfort or aesthetics of their home.

“Our autonomous platform will completely reinvent home security with its ability to continuously scan the perimeter of your home, reliably identify and deter threats, and remain unobtrusive yet uniquely powerful,” said Jack Abraham, co-founder of Sauron. “Our ultimate goal is to provide homes with a major security upgrade, seamlessly combining cutting-edge technology with a human touch to enhance safety and deliver peace of mind.”

Vasu Raman, co-founder and head of engineering at Sauron, added: “Perception and autonomous technology have advanced significantly in other sectors, such as autonomous driving and robotics. We’ve brought the precision of that technology to residential security, starting with the perimeter, where homes are most vulnerable. We’ve redefined home security by integrating new technologies in a way that makes the home safer and easier to manage for homeowners. From our approach to sensor selection and coverage, to the immersive 3D user interface, it’s all new and unlike anything the consumer has ever seen. There’s nothing like Sauron on the market.”

Sauron’s security system will be available for installation starting early next year.

Founded in 2024 by Kevin Hartz, Vasu Raman and Jack Abraham, Sauron (www.sauron.systems) offers perceptual home security to protect families and their homes. The platform combines military-grade technology such as sensor fusion, multi-modal AI, an intuitive 3D user interface, and skilled human agents.