NYPD recruits robot Digidog to help with Bronx home invasion
Footage has emerged of a “creepy” new robot being used by police, but its manufacturer doesn’t want it weaponised.
Footage has emerged of the New York Police Department’s latest toy: A “robot dog” that the NYPD used while attempting to defuse an alleged home invasion turned hostage situation in the Bronx.
In a video posted to YouTube by FreedomNews TV, the dog is seen trotting down the street carrying what appears to be a camera cabled to a transmitter, allowing it to get close to the scene and beam back footage to the police outside.
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“That thing is creepy,” a voice behind the camera is heard saying during the clip.
The robot, which is capable of carrying loads and climbing stairs, was sent into the building to investigate a potential hostage situation, but found no one inside.
“Where can I get one of those?” the voice asks as the robot trots back up the street.
You can get one of the robots, named Spot, from a company called Boston Dynamics, but it will cost you $US74,500 ($A93,500), and the company has some rules about what you can do with it.
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The company has been publicly saying it doesn’t want to see Spot weaponised, despite the robot stemming from a similar four-legged robot it developed with funding from the US military.
That robot was designed to transport equipment and accompany soldiers in rough terrain where vehicles would be less effective, but the project was shelved after it was decided it was too loud for combat situations.
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The company’s rules are really more like guidelines, as viral stunt art collective MSCHF recently demonstrated.
After gaining recognition for previous stunts such as an app that uses astrology signs to recommend stock investments and a pair of “Birkinstocks” – a $95,000 pair of sandals made from a Hermes Birkin bag – the group’s latest stunt included fitting a paintball gun to a Spot robot which they then let loose in an art gallery.
“Everyone in this world takes one look at cute little Spot and knows this thing will definitely be used by police and the military to murder people. And what do police departments have? Strong unions! Spot is employee of the month. You never need to union bust a robot – but a robot can union bust you,” MSCHF said in a typically provocative statement.
Boston Dynamics was not happy.
— Boston Dynamics (@BostonDynamics) February 20, 2021
“To be clear, we condemn the portrayal of our technology in any way that promotes violence, harm or intimidation,” the company said.
It added that “provocative art” can help drive conversations about the role of technology in our daily lives, but that MSCHF’s stunt “fundamentally misrepresents Spot and how it is being used to benefit our daily lives”.
According to MSCHF, Boston Dynamics offered them two more Spot robots for free “if we took the gun off”.
“That just made us want to do this even more,” MSCHF said.
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