HYANNIS – The Massachusetts State Police used a robot dog in the Hyannis standoff that happened earlier this month. It was the first time the robot dog, known as “Spot”, was damaged in a public safety deployment.
During the March 6th police standoff with Justin Moreira in Hyannis, Spot was reportedly damaged by gunfire. Brendan Schulman, VP of policy and government relations for Boston Dynamics, which manufactured the robot, says Spot is many times used for missions that can help save human lives.
“A robot that can be sent in instead of a person in a dangerous situation, like the situation in Hyannis, is a great example of why and how you might want to use a robot instead of sending a person in,” he said.
You can listen to the full interview with Schulman by clicking on the media player above.
With their life-like movements perhaps resembling your pooch at home, the litter of “Spot” robots made by Boston Dynamics numbers over a thousand.
Schulman says legislation is being considered on Beacon Hill which would prohibit weaponized use of these robots. Boston Dynamics already makes those terms part of the sale since Spot went on the market about four years ago.
By Jim McCabe, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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