ICE plan to buy robot dogs spurs protest from hundreds of Boston Dynamics employees
US robotics company stands by ICE deal as more than 300 employees warn of risk.
US robotics company stands by ICE deal as more than 300 employees warn of risk.
The short version
- On September 25, the Department of Homeland Security contract awarded $1.3 million to a Connecticut company called Radeco to provide ICE with modified versions of Boston Dynamics’ quadruped robots.
- But Boston Dynamics workers sent the petition letter with more than 300 signatures—half of them anonymous—to the company’s executives in early September and shared copies with The Boston Globe and WBUR public radio station .
- “Many of us have gotten messages from friends and family, asking us in disbelief and horror if this news is true, and how we can live with ourselves if it is,” according to the petition.
What happened
The ICE contract covers the purchase of four Boston Dynamics Spot robots that were modified by Radeco to be marketed as a robot platform named Cerberus . The contract describes these Cerberus robots as being intended to “detect radiation, toxic gas leaks and explosive threats in urban environments or disaster zones,” along with enabling other remote observation and inspection missions.
Why it matters
The Cerberus robot dog would come with an optional Spot robotic arm that enables it to manipulate objects and open doors, along with providing additional camera views when extended.
Summary by Nerd News Network. Read the full article at Ars Technica via the links above and below.