People Are Concerned After Australian Police Reveal They're Now Using Robot Dogs
Topics: Australia, Technology, Robotics
Stewart Perrie
Featured Image Credit: Western Australia Police/Facebook
Topics: Australia, Technology, Robotics
Western Australia Police have unveiled their newest recruit and they come in the form of a robotic dog.
The Boston Dynamics machines have captured headlines around the world for years for their incredible abilities.
Now the WA force wants to put them to the test in the Aussie state in the Bomb Response Unit.
The new recruit is called Spot and it will ensure officers don't have to be put in dangerous situations when an explosive is present.
"Our capability to respond to dangerous and high-risk situations involving suspicious items and/or armed offenders has been enhanced by the addition of new robotics technology within the Tactical Response Group (TRG)," the force wrote on Facebook.
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"‘Spot’ the robot is a highly agile and multi-purpose robotics platform developed and built by Boston Dynamics – a US-based global leader in robotics technology.
"Unlike other robots designed primarily for bomb response tasks, which are built on wheel or track platforms, Spot is built on four legs which provides an increased level of agility and flexibility, particularly on harsh, uneven terrain or staircases.
"The ‘arm’ feature on the Spot robot also provides a more flexible and multi-purpose tool to assist with a greater variety of tasks, from simple ‘pick up and carry’ tasks through to more complex tasks such as opening doors or tasks requiring both grip and dexterity usually only achieved with human hands."
Several people seemed thrilled at the idea that officers won't have to be put in danger if a bomb is discovered.
However, loads of other social media users weren't too keen on the idea of the technology being used in the police force.
One person reacting to the news wrote: "Does this thing give anyone else the creeps? Nightmare tonight!"
Another added: "Noticed they don't mention it can be converted to be a weapons bearing robot. The remote arm can be removed and attachments for shot guns, automatic weapons and tear gas dispenser put in place for crowd control."
A third said: "Has no one seen Terminator?"
The West Australian reports the technology costs $350,000 and it can manage different terrains in stunning fashion.
WA's Police Minister Paul Papalia is excited the state's police force is keeping up with technological trends and hopes it will be the perfect officer.
“Bomb techs are the most valuable — anything we can do to protect them and get them further away from danger and explosive devices is a good thing," he said to The West Australian.
"Essentially, it’s the latest version of adapting cutting edge technology to help policing, make it safer and more efficient, and keep our personal safe.”