The United States Department of Homeland Security has announced the deployment of robot dogs at the border separating the country from Mexico. If the authorities assure that the machines will facilitate the work of the agents, the defenders of human rights cry foul.
A robust robot dog to monitor the border
Developed by the firm Ghost Robotics, a great rival of Boston Dynamics, the robots will assist the personnel of the Customs and Border Protection Service, an agency directly linked to the Department of Homeland Security responsible in particular for patrolling around the US-US border. mexican. While it is unclear which exact model is involved, it should be noted that the quadrupeds manufactured by Ghost Robotics are able to move autonomously, but can also be controlled manually, and moreover, that they can be equipped with a number of payloads including thermal cameras and night vision. In the past, Ghost Robotics has even shown prototype gun-equipped models.
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According to Gavin Kenneally, the company’s product manager, the 45-kilo machine is designed for missions on the border between the country and Mexico, where conditions can sometimes be difficult. ” It is a robust quadruped robot. It traverses all types of natural terrain, including sand, rocks, and hills, as well as man-made environments, such as stairs. That’s why you need legs, not caterpillars “, he assures.
In its press release, the Department of Homeland Security explains that it has conducted various tests with the devices, both indoors and in the desert region where the border is located. These focused mainly on surveillance missions and, obviously, they were successfully carried out: the government has indeed explained that work with the machines will continue.
Difficult conditions
For authorities, the work of robot dogs is welcome and should ease the burden on Customs and Border Protection officers. “ The southern frontier can be an inhospitable place for man and beast, and that’s exactly why a machine can excel there. says Brenda Long, program manager for DHS’s research and development arm, science and technology (S&T) directorate.
” Like everywhere else, there is the usual criminal behavior, but along the border there can also be people smuggling, drug smuggling, as well as other forms of smuggling – including firearms or even potentially weapons of mass destruction. These activities can be carried out by anyone, from a single individual to transnational criminal organizations, terrorists or hostile governments – and everything in between. “, explains for his part the agent Brett Becker.
“ Operating in the desert or the mountains, agents and officers have to deal with rough terrain, high heat and humidity and, of course, they can run into people who want to do harm. But there are also many risks closer to home. For example, when missions take Border Patrol Tactical Operators to cities or ports, they may encounter hazardous environmental conditions, volatile individuals, or hostile threats. These situations can all be inherently dangerous “, he continues, in order to demonstrate the benefits of robot dogs precisely capable of evolving on difficult terrain.
The robot dog from Ghost Robotics can be equipped with a payload. Photo: Department of Homeland Security
A project considered dehumanizing
However, deploying robots on the US-Mexico border is very frowned upon by human rights defenders. Many people, especially women and children, fleeing atrocious living conditions in their country of origin to join the United States, find themselves there. ” The DHS plan to use robotic patrol dogs at its borders is a civil liberties disaster. The government must withdraw this dangerous proposal, and the Biden administration must halt our country’s slide into an anti-immigrant dystopia. “, declares in a tweet the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
Moreover, this is all the more telling in view of the history of the Customs and Border Protection Service, which has notably been accused on many occasions of numerous abuses against migrants. Besides, robot dogs also have limitations. For example, when the French military tested the Boston Dynamics Spot robot in military exercises, soldiers complained that the machine ran out of juice too quickly, while reports of Spot testing by US police testified to dodgy controls and spotty performance, with machines sometimes falling “ for no apparent reason “.
It is nevertheless not surprising to see machines taking over from humans, especially when working conditions are difficult, while technological progress is always more numerous. In addition, a recent study scientist demonstrates that the weather conditions at the border will rapidly worsen, which could lead to a more hasty deployment of robots in the area.