Abstract:
Boston Dynamics’ four-legged robot Spot has been used in a variety of industries over the years, but one of its most controversial uses may be about to emerge. According to reports, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to spend $2 million to purchase such robot dogs to remotely assess on-site situations before law enforcement officers enter dangerous environments.
A procurement notice issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security shows that relevant departments may purchase Boston Dynamics Spot robots and supporting equipment, with an estimated total value of between US$1 million and US$2 million.
Potential uses listed in the document include on-site inspections, situational awareness and hazard assessment, primarily in environments where personnel safety may be at risk. Purchasers say these capabilities will help improve law enforcement officer safety, provide more informed operational decisions, and enhance the Department of Homeland Security's ability to respond to emergencies in hazardous, confined, unstable or inaccessible areas.
The current document does not mention that the robots will be used to capture or arrest people. A senior Department of Homeland Security official later confirmed to NBC News that Spot would not undertake such a mission. However, this explanation may still be difficult to eliminate the controversy caused by ICE's use of robot dogs.
This is not the first time Spot has been adopted by government agencies. In 2019, the Massachusetts State Police bomb squad rented a Spot and used it as a "mobile remote observation device" to inspect suspicious objects and dangerous locations, and was involved in at least two incidents.
The New York City Police Department later deployed a heavily modified Spot, calling it the "Digidog." In 2020, a gunman hid in the basement and confronted the police. Digidog once undertook reconnaissance tasks during the operation. The following year, in a suspected home invasion incident, the police also allowed it to enter the house for inspection before sending police officers in.
It is reported that Digidog has completed approximately six missions, during which no civilians were harmed. However, images of robot dogs performing tasks have sparked public concerns about surveillance and the perception that modern policing is becoming more and more like Black Mirror. The New York City Police Department terminated a $94,000 lease in 2021, but reactivated Digidog two years later. The department subsequently purchased two robot dogs for $750,000 and stated that they would only be deployed in life-threatening situations such as bomb threats.
Spot also has a history of cooperation with the US military. An early version was tested by the U.S. Marine Corps as a platform for transporting equipment and performing ground reconnaissance missions. Spot is quieter than Boston Dynamics' AlphaDog, which uses a fuel engine, but it requires constant human supervision and can only carry about 40 pounds (about 18 kilograms) of equipment. Due to these limitations, the U.S. military ultimately shelved the project.
Boston Dynamics prohibits customers from using Spot to harm or intimidate others and warns that the company will take "appropriate steps to mitigate such abuse." Even if Boston Dynamics believes that the use of ICE does not violate relevant regulations, the company still needs to weigh whether the sales revenue of up to $2 million is worth the negative publicity it will bring.
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