DHS evaluating the use of robot dogs to patrol the US southern border

The Homeland Security Department is looking at deploying robot dogs to help patrol the southern U.S. border.

"Don’t be surprised if in the future we see robot 'Fido' out in the field," the department's Science and Technology Directorate said this week in a written statement.

The Homeland Security advising unit, which has the mission to provide "innovative problem solving," is evaluating four-legged drones. The news release did not indicate a potential date to apply the technology in the field.

Robot dogs, also known as Automated Ground Surveillance Vehicles, could "shoulder some of the physically taxing and dangerous operational work" and help agents and officers at the border, the statement said.

For about two and a half years, Homeland Security's science adviser has been partnering with Ghost Robotics Corp., a Philadelphia-based company working for military and commercial customers, to develop a unique product for that task. Ghost Robotics customized their 100-pound, knee-height robot dog for the agency's mission. 

“It is a rugged, quadruped robot. It traverses all types of natural terrain including sand, rocks, and hills," said Gavin Kenneally, the company's chief product officer.

“The southern border can be an inhospitable place for man and beast, and that is exactly why a machine may excel there,” said Brenda Long, program manager of the Science and Technology Directorate.

Robot dogs can be customized with different cameras, radios and sensors. They transmit real-time information to whoever is monitoring from a distance. Add-ons go from thermal- and night-vision cameras to chemical and nuclear sensors. This particular prototype made no mention of weapon additions, although Ghost Robotics has developed armed four-legged robots.

Customs and Border Protection defined the challenges and requirements for the product, and developed testing simulations to see if the robot could meet the expectations.

The robot dog was put to test in El Paso, Texas, during the daytime and at night. It was sent on autonomous mode on a patrol circuit in the desert, but also tested indoors to encounter "potentially hostile individuals." It was tested for battery life and performance while carrying 20 pounds of sensors, cameras and radio equipment.

It passed the test. Science and Technology Directorate will continue to work with the prototype after confirming its "real-world capabilities," the news release said.

Customs and Border Protection, the largest U.S. law enforcement agency, already has a plethora of technological tools used as a “force multiplier” — a combination of elements that increases a security mission's success — such as ground sensors, Integrated Fix Towers, and costly surveillance blimps.

Real-world use of four-legged drones

Robot dogs increasingly are used in military and law enforcement settings.

Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida received its first mechanic litter on March 22, 2021. That product is a technological hybrid of Ghost Robotics and Immersive Wisdom, Inc., a provider of geospatial software and platforms.

“These robot dogs will be used as a force multiplier for enhanced situational awareness by patrolling areas that aren’t desirable for human beings and vehicles," Maj. Jordan Criss, 325th Security Forces Squadron commander, said in a written statement.

Robotic police dogs have have been used in Hawaii and New York.

The four-legged drone, made by Ghost Robotics'-competitor Boston Dynamics, was swiftly taken out of operation from the New York Police Department after public backlash. The robot, renamed "Digidog," was used to address a house break-in and hostage situation in the Bronx. Another time, it entered a public-housing unit along with officers, though it did not take part in the law enforcement operation.

Criticism of the use of the new technologies in law enforcement often is tied to concerns over civil rights, ethics and the government's spending priorities.

Many are remote-controlled. But four-legged drones, and other forms of artificial intelligence, have been designed for autonomous operation. Inaccuracies and biases in their design have real-life consequences.

Public discussion and legislation is not proceeding at the same pace as the development of the high-tech devices, the American Civil Liberties Union suggests.

Homeland Security did not suggest the robot prototype tested in El Paso would be used to stop migrants crossing the southern border illegally. But the department suggested it is designed to come into contact with humans, because they performed tests in "a scenario that simulated being met by potentially hostile individuals."

Whether far from reality or not, the idea of armed, unmanned drones attacking migrants is not new. In 2018, Blake Resnik — who made it into the list of Forbes "30 under 30" — made a promotional video pitching "Wall of Drones," a small, armed drone that, in the fictional video, interrogated and tased a migrant. Resnik never sold the prototype and later told The Intercept that the video, which he recorded as an 18-year-old, was "immature." He was awarded a patent for it.

"The deployment of advanced technologies like robots all too often happens faster than our social, political, and legal systems can adjust," the ACLU wrote last year in response to the acquisition of robot dogs by the Honolulu police.

Have news tips or story ideas about the Arizona-Sonora borderlands? Reach the reporter at cmigoya@arizonarepublic.com or send a direct message in Twitter to @ClaraMigoya.