Construction
The Department of Homeland Security awarded Connecticut company Radeco $1.3 million to supply immigration agency ICE with modified Boston Dynamics robot dogs; over 300 Boston Dynamics employees petitioned against the sale.
A dated step forward on the record
What the source says
“the Department of Homeland Security contract awarded $1.3 million to a Connecticut company called Radeco to provide ICE with modified versions of Boston Dynamics’ quadruped robots”
What it means
Spot, from Boston Dynamics, is at stage 4 of 5 on our ladder: paying customers. Its stage is set by other milestones on its record; this one adds to the history.
Human help: The maker hasn't said whether people help it remotely.
More on Spot
- Wichita, Kansas, city council approved buying one Spot robot for police bomb-squad work, at an estimated cost of about $330,000.
- Boston Dynamics said it had deployed more than 2,000 Spot and Stretch (warehouse) robots in total, and released a software update that adds security patrols.
- Hyundai Motor Group completed its purchase of an 80% stake in Boston Dynamics from SoftBank, in a deal that valued the company at $1.1 billion.
- New York City police ended their $94,000 contract for a Spot robot (nicknamed "Digidog") early, after public criticism.
- Spot went on general sale to US businesses at $74,500. Before that, more than 150 had been placed with companies and labs through a lease-only early program.
- Boston Dynamics began offering Spot to a small group of chosen early business customers, picked for having a practical use for it.