Honolulu Used Boston Dynamics’ Spot to Scan Homeless Population
In possibly the most dystopian example of robotic dogs used by law enforcement thus far, Honolulu police last year deployed Boston Dynamics’ Spot to patrol the city’s homeless encampment and take body temperatures of supposedly sick people.
The idea behind deploying Spot, Honolulu Police Department Deputy Chief John McCarthy told Honolulu Civil Beat, was to “mitigate the spread of COVID-19 through touchless field screening and interaction with homeless individuals in self-quarantine.” By using Spot, HPD could avoid potentially having to have police officers interact with people in the encampment who had tested positive. Aside from taking temperatures, Spot was also used to disinfect the site and remotely patrol the areas.
The police department reportedly used $150,045 worth of CARES Act Covid-19 relief aid to pay for Spot.
