Massachusetts pioneered U.S. police use
Massachusetts state police were the first law enforcement agency to publicly use Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot back in 2019, according to records obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts. In a separate report, a police spokesperson told WBUR the state’s bomb squad had Spotted on loan for three months where it was used as a “mobile remote observation device.” Spot was apparently used in two “incidents’’ during that loan period.
Images obtained by WBUR show Spot opening a door with a type of claw attached above its “head.” Other footage shows the robots kicking their way through ice and attempting to balance on uneven terrain.
Spot didn’t exactly blow Massachusetts police away. According to emails obtained by OneZero, Spot annoyingly placed itself into “sit” mode during an investigation in which police were trying to get it to inspect a potential bomb. In another trial, Spot experienced “front leg panic,” before toppling to the ground. When faced with a steep incline, Spot reportedly got confused and started pacing in place.