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Potential Deployment of U.S. Border Patrol Robot Dogs Sparks Controversy

A recent project unveiled by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in cooperation with the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has turned out to be highly controversial. While the project’s officials describe it as a harmless process, no different than the use of semi-autonomous drones, the deployment of a patrol robot dog at the US-Mexico border is seen by many as a threat to civil rights.
CBP intends to deploy patrol robot dogs at the borders in the future 6 photos
Photo: Ghost Robotics
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Earlier this month, CBP announced the extensive testing of robot dogs for patrolling the border in the American Southwest region. Officially called Automated Ground Surveillance Vehicles (AGSVs), the four-legged robots would be able to monitor a vast area that is known for extreme temperatures, harsh surroundings, and other types of potential threats.

Built by Ghost Robotics, which had made headlines before when it launched an armed version of a robot dog, this AGSV weighs 100 pounds (45 kg) and is very robust, capable of tackling rocky terrain, hills, or sand, while sending real-time data to the control center.

Euronews reports that the patrol robot dog wasn’t well-received by civil rights activists and other voices on social media, who fear that its monitoring tasks would, in fact, lead to the surveillance of people living close to the border area without their consent. It’s certainly not the first time that modern robots’ outstanding capabilities raise safety questions within societies. According to the same source, the attempt to use Boston Dynamics’ famous robot dogs by the police department in Honolulu and in New York was met with similar concerns by the public.

CBP, on the other hand, claims that this four-legged ground drone solution would be a step up for ensuring security in high-risk areas, such as borders. The robot dogs underwent extensive testing, in various environments, for their physical capabilities and for their payload (the camera and sensors). For now, they did not go further than these tests, but CBP stated that robot dogs could become a regular presence at the border in the future.
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About the author: Otilia Drăgan
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Otilia believes that if it’s eco, green, or groundbreaking, people should know about it (especially if it's got wheels or wings). Working in online media for over five years, she's gained a deeper perspective on how people everywhere can inspire each other.
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