The US Secret Service has a new tool in its arsenal: a robotic dog named “Spot” made by Boston Dynamics. The device has been seen recently patrolling the perimeter of President-elect Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
They don’t have weapons, and each one can be controlled remotely or automatically as long as its route is pre-programmed.
There’s a sign on each of Spot’s legs that says, “DO NOT PET.”
“I don’t think anyone would be tempted to pet these robot dogs.” “They don’t look particularly cuddly,” said Melissa Michelson, a political scientist at Menlo College.
Video of Spot strutting around the property has gone viral on TikTok, where reactions range from “cool and cute” to “creepy.” It’s also been used as material for jokes on American late-night television. But it’s not something to be taken lightly.
“The president-elect’s safety is our top priority,” said Anthony Guglielmi, the US Secret Service chief of communications, in an interview with the BBC.
In the months before the US presidential election, Trump was the target of two apparent assassination attempts. The first incident occurred at a July rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and the other took place at the Mar-a-Lago golf course in September.
The Secret Service wouldn’t answer the BBC’s questions about the use of robotic dogs in Trump’s security detail, citing “concern for operational security.” They also wouldn’t say when the agency began using the device at his primary residence.
Boston Dynamics also didn’t answer any specific questions, but they did confirm that the Secret Service was using their Spot robot.
So what’s the reason for the Secret Service using them now?
Ron Williams, a former Secret Service agent who is now CEO of the security and risk management firm Talon Companies, thinks the assassination attempts against Trump made the agency more eager to “upgrade the technology that can enhance the ability to detect and deter.”
At Mar-a-Lago, where a lot of the property is exposed, Williams said robotic dogs are long overdue. “They can cover a lot more area” than humans alone, Williams said of the dogs, which he expects will become more common over time.
And it’s not just the Secret Service. Williams said robotic dogs are becoming more and more common in militaries and law enforcement agencies around the world.
The bomb squad in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania that bought Spot in the spring uses the device to check for potential explosives, according to Boston Dynamics’ promotional materials.
Last year, the New York Police Department decided to add the robotic canines to its force despite complaints that it was an overreach of police power, according to Wired.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has used them to gather intel in the ongoing conflict sparked by Russia’s invasion in 2022, according to the Kyiv Post.
See Spot run!
Spot is known for its agility. It can walk up and down stairs and get around tight spaces. It can even open doors.
But its ability to reveal potential threats is one of the main reasons so many agencies are willing to pay up to $75,000 (£59,000) for the device.
The Secret Service’s communications chief, Guglielmi, said the robotic dogs are “equipped with surveillance technology and an array of advanced sensors that support our protective operations.”
The device has multiple cameras that create a 3D map of its surroundings, according to Boston Dynamics marketing materials. It can also have extras like thermal sensing.
But none of this would be possible without a human master.
“Basically, they use a joystick to control the robot dog as it walks around,” said Missy Cummings, an engineering professor at George Mason University who runs the university’s Autonomy and Robotics Center. Spot can also move along a set route automatically.
Unlike humans and real dogs, robotic dogs aren’t distracted by what they see, hear, or smell.
But despite all their great features, the devices can still be taken down.
“All you have to do is spray it with Aqua Net hairspray in its ‘face,'” Cummings said. “That would be enough to stop the cameras from working correctly.”
While the robotic dog seen at Mar-a-Lago isn’t armed, she says competitors seem to be testing models that are.
“People are trying to turn these dogs into weapons,” Cummings adds, mentioning a Chinese model with an attached rifle that she heard about at a robotics meeting this week.
They’re not going to replace humans, says Melissa Michelson. She compares the devices to assisted-driving technology in some vehicles.
“We don’t have a lot of faith in cars being able to drive themselves,” Michelson said.
Secret Service agents at Mar-a-Lago have been seen patrolling with Spot.
“We still need humans behind the scenes to use their judgment and be able to jump in if there’s a technology breakdown,” she says.
