Boston Dynamics Spot has gradually seen it debut in different types of activities as it has reached more companies since it was put on sale. Although its purpose is to be used in civilian environments, it has also been used by law enforcement agencies in various parts of the world. The last to do so is the French army, which has tested Spot as a reconnaissance tool in combat scenarios.
According to fotos compartidas por la escuela militar francesa Special Military School of Saint-Cyr, Spot has been in testing in training combat scenarios by the students of the school. Apparently, the robot has been used for recognition in training exercises, with the aim of making students aware of the importance of robots in future combat.
21. I deploy the robot to recognize OSCAR3.
Back in pictures on the applied research exercise organized on March 30 and 31 by the EMIA and the research center. Robotization of the battlefield: raising students’ awareness of the challenges of tomorrow. #CapaciTERRE #Robots pic.twitter.com/HiZ2BFOZPY– Saint-Cyr Coëtquidan (@SaintCyrCoet) April 6, 2021
The French media Ouest France reports that Spot has been used together with other robots during these days of training. The soldiers simulated a series of scenarios first only with humans and then with humans accompanied by robots to see what difference there was and what robots could contribute.
The use of the robots made the tests slower but at the same time safer, according to Ouest France. This is because robots generally were used for the recognition of environments and thus offer more security to the soldiers.
The Boston Dynamics robot dog is equipped with LiDAR cameras and sensors that allow you to scan and map in three dimensions of the place you are accessing. Likewise, its ability to move allows it to walk through difficult environments without major problems. That is why it is normally used for reconnaissance in all kinds of places, from a shuttle de SpaceX hasta Chernobyl.
Spot and military environments
While this time Spot has presumably been used only for reconnaissance activities, its appearance in military settings raises the question of what its future is in places like that. Boston Dynamics, for example, has previously worked with the US military to develop combat robots.
With Spot however things are somewhat different, from the outset Boston Dynamics has indicated that with the entry into the commercial sector prohibit it from being used to harm people. This includes the prohibition of placing any type of weapon on the robot or training it for such activities.
In the latter case there is a fine line. On the one hand you can see the potential use to harm and help the military, on the other hand it helps the military to be safe and can help people who are in danger. A Boston Dynamics official told The Verge that the company “still evaluating” whether or not to ban the use of Spot in military settings. It’s certainly more fun when you dance.
Via | The Verge