If you plan to attend FIFA World Cup games this year in Dallas you may see some canines walking around, but more than just the furry kind. Boston Dynamic’s robo-dogs will be utilized as perimeter security surveillance to help keep human officers safe.
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However, the move has sparked some controversy.
What the dogs are for
The autonomous robots, called “Spot,” bear the logos of Boston Dynamics and parent company Hyundai as they walk around the concourses searching for any suspicious bags or behavior that could be a danger to the public.
The Dallas Express reports Hyundai intends for the robo-dogs to simply assist on-site security officers, notifying officers when any potential hazard escalates to the need for human intervention. Though the dogs have garnered a lot of attention, they will play but a small role among security, company officials said.
The Dallas Police Department received $51.5 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to support World Cup security operations, according to The Express; $1.3 million was added for equipment and $10 million for drone mitigation technology.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said the resources the city receives surge when the city hosts large events.
“Whenever we have these large events like the FIFA Cup, as well as we did when Super Bowls took place at the Dallas Cowboy Football Stadium, we have a surge of resources at all levels,” Abbott said, per WFAA.
Recognizing faces?
The new technology was featured in a video where it walked up, moved its head side to side and then did a little shimmy. The video claimed the robots were using facial scanning robots in Dallas.
@ogdaffle Dallas is using facial scanning robots to verify ticket holders for the FIFA World Cup! #worldcup #dallas #robotdog #fifa #fyp
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♬ original sound – OG Daffle
The Massachusetts company refuted the claim, saying the robots do not have facial recognition capabilities.
“Boston Dynamics’ Spot robots are being deployed at designated World Cup venues to perform perimeter security inspections and will be used to assist security personnel with investigating things like suspicious packages or other potentially hazardous materials,” a statement to WFAA read. “The robots do not have facial recognition capabilities.”
While the claim is inaccurate concerning the facial scanning, the video is an accurate portrayal of how the robots will operate during the events.
Other sites using robotic canines
Dallas is not the only location to commission the robo-dogs. Mexico’s World Cup locations will see the “K9-X,” made by an undisclosed company, that are only semi-autonomous and is controlled as if someone were controlling a drone, per Wired. The dog has already been introduced during the last match of Club de Futbol Monterrey in Concachampions at BBVA Stadium, which is one of the three stadiums the World Cup will be played in.
Along with large events like the Indianapolis 500, similar robots have been seen patrolling on the Vegas Strip.
“You’re going to see more and more robots … whether it is ground robots, aerial robots. We even have plans in the future for aquatic robots,” Kurt George, vice president of Asylon Robotics, told Kolo 8 News.