Meet Spot, Western Australia Police Force’s newest recruit (yes, really).
The four-legged robotic dog, developed and built by Hyundai Motor Group’s Boston Dynamics, is to be part of the Force’s Bomb Response Unit.
“This robot brings additional capabilities,” said WA Minister for Police Paul Papalia in a Facebook post.
“Very obviously, it’s got legs instead of wheels or tracks. It makes it more adept at getting up and down stairways and in difficult situations for climbing and going down steep declines.
“The main, most valuable asset the [Tactical Response Group] has when dealing with a bomb, or any explosive device, are the people. Anything we can do to protect them and get them further away from danger and the explosive device is a good thing.”
While the WA Police are the first in the nation to use Spot, the agile robot dog is used in many industries, such as manufacturing, construction, power and utilities, research, mining, oil and gas, and entertainment.
Spot doesn’t come cheap, though – the robotic canine costs $US75,000 (AUD$107,000).
But if he can pull off a ‘Lassie’ moment and save someone’s life, it’s money well spent.
