Biden Administration Tests Four-Legged Robotic "Dogs" on U.S.-Mexico Border
FEB 08, 2022
The Homeland Security Department has confirmed it is testing robot dogs on patrols along the U.S.-Mexico border. The agency said the four-legged drones, produced by the Philadelphia-based company Ghost Robotics, would help boost the presence of Border Patrol in the region. Officials also admitted the harsh terrain in the southern border can be life-threatening and that robots would reduce agents’ exposure to the hazards. Last year at least 650 migrants died while attempting to cross into the U.S. as the Biden administration continued to block most asylum seekers from safely coming into the country through ports of entry. In October, Ghost Robotics showed off an autonomous weapons system combining a quadruped robot with a sniper rifle.
https://www.democracynow.org/2022/2/8/headlines/biden_administration_tests_four_legged_robotic_dogs_on_us_mexico_border
(Short article, no more at link)
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U.S. Tests Robot Dogs to Patrol Border
Civil Rights Advocates Warn of Human Rights Concerns
Tierna Unruh-Enos, Publisher
Photo courtesy Dept of Homeland Security
Published February 8th, 2022 at 2:51 pm, Last Updated February 8th, 2022 at 3:48 pm
Robotic dogs may soon be used along the border with Mexico to assist Border Patrol guards. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is calling it a “civil liberties disaster.”
A press release debuting the dogs was released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) earlier this week. “Due to the demands of the region, adding quadruped mechanical reinforcements is a smart use of resources,” the DHS said in a blog post. DHS says the goal of the program is to leverage technology to multiply the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) presence and reduce human exposure to life-threatening hazards.
Early on, Border Patrol voiced interest in a four-legged ground drone solution and Ghost Robotics was brought into the fold. They saw an opportunity to re-engineer a version of their pre-existing robot dog for the border patrol mission. Ghost Robotics’s previous version of the robot dog showcased a four-legged robot that had a sniper rifle attached to its back.
Link to tweet
The robots were tested in El Paso, Tex., on the international border. “In a desert area, the dogs were programmed to go on simulated sentry duty,” DHS said.
More:
https://abq.news/2022/02/u-s-tests-robot-dogs-to-patrol-border/
