Robot dogs are now helping with security patrols at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida — a historic first for the computerized canines, Stars and Stripes reported.
“The 325th Security Forces Squadron is the first to implement semi-autonomous robot dogs in patrolling,” the Air Force announced in a video last week, the news outlet noted.
The robot dogs patrol the 29,000-acre base outside Panama City, Florida. The Air Force didn’t disclose how many of the headless, four-legged bots were in use.
According to Stars and Stripes, the Air Force worked with two private firms — Ghost Robotics and Immersive Wisdom — to develop a “virtual security operations center” that includes the robot dogs.
The bots won’t replace real working dogs, but will be used as a “force multiplier,” Maj. Jordan Criss said in a statement, Stars and Stripes reported.
Here’s how it works: A virtual reality headset developed by Immersive Wisdom is used to navigate the robots, while mobile cameras let human operators see what the bots see. A radio link can then be used by humans to talk with anyone the computer canines encounter.
“These dogs will be an extra set of eyes and ears while computing large amounts of data at strategic locations throughout Tyndall Air Force Base,” Criss said.
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