NYPD begins using robots to patrol Times Square and subway

2023: NYPD begins using robots to patrol Times Square and subway

On April 11, 2023, New York Mayor Eric Adams announced that four-legged Digidog robots, whose task is to ensure safety, would return to the streets of the city. These vehicles will come to the aid of the police, carrying out, among other things, patrolling Times Square and metro stations.

Digidog is built on the basis of a robotic dog Spot created by the company. Boston Dynamics The patrol robot is equipped with microphones, a camera and an array of various sensors. As noted by The Verge, Digidog is designed to work in conditions that can pose a threat to people. This can be, for example, inspections in hazardous areas and monitoring of construction sites. It is known that the purchase of two copies of Digidog will cost the city approximately $750 thousand. It is assumed that these machines will only be used in emergencies, such as the threat of an explosion.

NYPD begins using robots to patrol Times Square and subway

In 2020, the NYPD used Digidog for intelligence during an incident where the gunman barricaded himself inside a building, it said. In addition, the robot was involved in 2021 to examine a house that was invaded by attackers. However, critics opposed the use of Digidog due to surveillance concerns. After that, New York law enforcement terminated the contract with Boston Dynamics.

The new initiative of the New York authorities has already been criticized by the group of human rights defenders Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (STOP). Representatives of this organization say that the police are putting bad science fiction into practice.

New York deserves real safety, not a fake robo-cop. Spending public funds to invade the privacy of the city's residents is a dangerous practice, opponents of the project say.[1]

2021: NYPD abandons robots after accusations of being 'aggressive'

At the end of April 2021, the New York Police Department terminated a $94,000 contract with Boston Dynamics, in which the police rented robotic dogs for patrol and investigation.

The Police Department has agreed to lease robots in 2020 as part of a test launch of a new generation of robotic police gear. Equipped with cameras, lights and sensors, the manoeuvrable robot uses artificial intelligence to navigate difficult conditions and has even been used to safely deliver food to hostages.

We can send him to a dark lane and get an idea of ​ ​ what is happening there, "explained Deepu John from the New York Police Technical Assistance Response Department in an interview.

NYPD drops Boston Dynamics robots after accusations of being 'aggressive'

The Boston Dynamics robot could do other menial work, such as collecting garbage and washing, mapping production facilities for Ford and helping researchers safely investigate mines.

However, the robot, nicknamed Digidog by NYPD officers, has drawn sharp criticism, including from Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. She suggested on Twitter that the introduction of robotic dogs represented overaggressive policing tactics aimed at poor and underserved communities.

Hours later, the NYPD's official Twitter account wrote that the department has been using robots in hostage incidents and life-threatening situations since the 1970s.

This robot model undergoes tests that are designed to assess its capabilities and compare with other models used by our emergency response department and bomb squad.

In the end, the police decided to terminate the contract with Boston Dynamics.^[2]

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