More Than 60 US and Canadian Police Units Now Use Boston Dynamics' Robot Dog (msn.com) 39
Boston Dynamics' Spot robot is now deployed by more than 60 bomb squads and SWAT teams across the US and Canada. The 75-pound four-legged machine starts at around $100,000 and has been used in armed standoffs, hostage rescues and hazardous materials incidents since its commercial debut five years ago. The Massachusetts State Police operates two Spot units purchased in 2020 and 2022. Each cost about $250,000 including add-ons funded through state grants. Last year one of the robots helped corner a suspect who had taken his mother hostage at knifepoint in Hyannis. Houston operates three units and Las Vegas has one.
ICE recently spent around $78,000 on a similar robot from Canadian manufacturer Icor Technology that can also deploy smoke bombs. Civil liberties groups have raised concerns about normalizing militarized policing. The NYPD suspended its limited Spot program in 2021 after public backlash over cost and surveillance concerns before later reinstating it and purchasing two units. The Electronic Frontier Foundation says there should be state and federal laws providing guidance on appropriate use of such technology. About 2,000 Spot units now operate globally.
ICE recently spent around $78,000 on a similar robot from Canadian manufacturer Icor Technology that can also deploy smoke bombs. Civil liberties groups have raised concerns about normalizing militarized policing. The NYPD suspended its limited Spot program in 2021 after public backlash over cost and surveillance concerns before later reinstating it and purchasing two units. The Electronic Frontier Foundation says there should be state and federal laws providing guidance on appropriate use of such technology. About 2,000 Spot units now operate globally.
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What's the bite force of one of these things?
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What's the bite force of one of these things?
Zero. They lack jaws and teeth.
It is a camera/weapon platform. A ridiculously overpriced one for civil police use.
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50,000 Volts
canadian robot (Score:1)
What were the tariffs on the Canadian robot?
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Hyundai owns Boston Dynamics.
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Re: canadian robot (Score:2)
That was the first thing that came to my mind
So why are we allowing this again? (Score:1, Insightful)
I understand what's going on with all that immigration enforcement bullshit. There's a bunch of bitter old assholes who get off on seeing people slammed into the ground.
But is there really that many people for whom the pleasure of watching a couple of Mexicans get dragged into a black van by masked goons is enough
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Plenty of stories of DUI abuse in Blue states as well. One of the grant programs allowed "one and done" checkpoints, so one corrupt cop padded his retirement by doing DUI checkpoints, citing the first car through, closing the checkpoint (getting paid for 8 hours of OT), and reporting for an extra shift an hour later doing the same crap. He had over 40 days last year where he was paid for more than 26 hours!
Agreed but (Score:1)
In the red States it's coming down from the top that's the difference. It's because corruption at the top is more common in a red state than a blue state.
This is to be expected if you understand how left and right wing politics work.
In a red State you have a right Wing state. So you have people that are prone to hierarchical structures and obedience.
That's going to encourage corr
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Legit uses are bomb squad and SWAT. Safer for all parties to have a robot enter premises. You haven't seen the videos or read the news stories about police entering a home and having to shoot because people panicked? A robot can enter a home and assess the situation. If doped up people panic seeing T2 come after them, worse case some damage to police property. I really don't see how robots are the worse option. We should have oversight and strict rules (as in, jail-time for anyone involved in bypassing) abo
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You haven't seen the videos or read the news stories about police entering a home and having to shoot because people panicked?
You mean the police panicking, and then shooting up the homeowners...
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We should question every new tool they receive and understand how they will abuse it, just like they've done everything else.
I absolutely hate how they can arrest and detain without any measurable quantifier for DUI or speeding. Literally they just get to make shit up and courts back them.
Why do you consider robots a problem? (Score:2)
Robots lack emotion, they can take risks humans should not, and will not be stressed like emotional meatbags.
Why are you conflating robots with police abuse? Robots lack emotion which is the root of all evil.
Police Dog Union (Score:3)
What? No commentary from the Police Dog Union? Surely it must be opposed to real dogs losing their jobs!
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McGruff the Crime Dog will be discussing this on the next Joe Rogan podcast.
Use or Purchased? (Score:2)
My local PD purchased one a few years ago, but they are yet to actually put it to beneficial use.
No point it me taking a string of sausages ... (Score:2)
with me when I next go out burglaring then!
Obvious next step... (Score:2)
I love how we have money for these (Score:3)
I love how police departments always have money for these extremely expensive tools but when money for programs such as SNAP or other programs that benefit poor people, we are immediately met with criticism and are asked, "WHAR'S THE MONEY COMING FROM????"
You could feed tens of thousands for $250,0000.
The dogs internal docs are out there. Read them. (Score:3)
The company offloaded some R&D to universities early on. Also promised they would never be used against civilians, which someone obviously believed.
When they decided to use them in public schools, some of those researchers leaked a bunch of test data.
What obstacles they fail to see and/or manage. Conditions that force shutdown. Easily damaged parts and resulting failure modes. Battery location and access.
Anyone who cares to look can find ways to make these dogs either very large paperweights or very expensive firestarter logs.
I don't think these will last real long in any situation that entails them meeting any level of organized resistance
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The company offloaded some R&D to universities early on. Also promised they would never be used against civilians, which someone obviously believed. When they decided to use them in public schools, some of those researchers leaked a bunch of test data. What obstacles they fail to see and/or manage. Conditions that force shutdown. Easily damaged parts and resulting failure modes. Battery location and access. Anyone who cares to look can find ways to make these dogs either very large paperweights or very expensive firestarter logs. I don't think these will last real long in any situation that entails them meeting any level of organized resistance
A nefarious outlook on this situation would see this as a benefit. It won't take many instances of these bots failing or causing fires to put out the cry to create heavy-armor / more formidable versions of the same thing, probably with better offensive weaponry involved.
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Ah. So your solution is to preemptively surrender. You know, just in case actually resisting fascism in any way might upset the fascists.
I never did understand why so many German Jews supported Hitler. But then you come along and make it all clear.
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Ah. So your solution is to preemptively surrender. You know, just in case actually resisting fascism in any way might upset the fascists. I never did understand why so many German Jews supported Hitler. But then you come along and make it all clear.
That's an extremely odd way of saying you didn't understand a word I wrote. Was it the word 'nefarious' that threw you? That typically isn't aligned with positive thought.
Let me spell it out more thoroughly: The bad actors would see this as a benefit so that they can justify creating heavy-armor / more formidable versions of the same thing, probably with better offensive weaponry involved.
If you still see that as some sort of "I surrender" call, then I don't know what to tell you. Putting words in my mouth
note reading "Mondays, amirite?" taped to a servo (Score:2)
" Last year one of the robots helped corner a suspect who had taken his mother hostage at knifepoint in Hyannis."
Like, it walked up to the hostage-taker as he was threatening the life of the hostage? And the theory is that this was better than a human confronting him, because why? Seems like they were endangering the hostage.
Robot Dogs on the CBC and or CTV (Score:1)
Hacking (Score:1)
officer (Score:3)
The question remains (Score:2)
Are they all a good boy?
not a robot (Score:2)
It's not a robot. It's a remotely controlled vehicle with AI-enhanced highly flexible mobility. That's all it is.