The United States Department of Homeland Security is weighing up whether to replace human guards with robot dogs to patrol the country’s border with Mexico.
Floating the idea, the Department said the Ghost Vision 60 quadrupeds (pictured) could work with or without human intervention.
“The South-west of the United States is a region that combines a harsh landscape, extreme temperatures, and other non-environmental threats, that can create dangerous obstacles for those who patrol the border,” the Department said.
“These robots are equipped with night-vision goggles and thermal sensors through which they will be able to detect the presence of people.”
It said that as a result the United States intended to prevent illegal entry into the country without the need for human guards.
Products Manager at Ghost Robotics, Gavin Kenneally said the robot dogs were developed specifically for these kinds of operations.
“It’s a robust, quadrupedal robot,” Mr Kenneally said.
“It traverses all kinds of natural terrain, including sand, rocks, and hills, as well as man-made environments like stairs,” he said.
However, there was no word from either the Department or the company as to what the robot dogs would do when they came across illegal border crossers.
A Departmental spokesperson would say only that the dogs would not be armed.
Washington, 8 February 2022
