The US Department of Homeland Security released new details this week about experiments with four-legged robots on the southern border with Mexico.

Robot dogs are tested in a variety of roles focused on observation.

Although the Department of Homeland Security has not shared any full-term deployment timeline, it says the trials have been "successful" and that work with the robotic dogs will continue.

"The southern border can be a no-go for soldiers and live dogs, which is exactly why the machine stands out there," said Brenda Long, program manager for the department's research and development division.

The robotic dogs were built by Ghost Robotics, a competitor to Boston Dynamics.

The most popular robot dog model, the Ghost Vision 60, is 2.5 feet (76 cm) tall, weighs 70 pounds (32 kg), and can walk more than 7.5 miles (12 km) in 3 hours on a single battery charge. .

The robotic dogs can navigate independently or with manual control, and can be equipped with a number of payloads, including thermal and night vision cameras.

In the past, Ghost Robotics has shown prototypes equipped with guns.

In a detailed blog post, the Department of Homeland Security explained how it tested robotic dogs for potential border action.

The robotic dogs have been tested for “guarding” the outdoors, autonomously patrolling previously designated waypoints via GPS while carrying cameras and sensors, inspecting train carriages, navigating around and under wagons, and exploring apartment buildings. Including "a scenario that simulates confronting potentially enemy individuals".

These are all tasks that robot dogs have been tested on before.

The main advantage of these four-legged machines is that unlike machines with wheels they can navigate any environment that humans can navigate, including desert or steep hills, rocky terrain and even stairs.

But despite their sophistication, these machines also have obvious limitations.

Practical experiments have shown a number of potential issues, such as limited battery life and erratic behaviour.

And when the French army tested the “Boston Dynamics” robot in military exercises, the soldiers complained that the device’s battery had run out too quickly, while the reports of the American police experiments with “Boston Dynamics” robot dogs called “Spot” complained of incomplete performance, with the fall of Sometimes machines "for no apparent reason".

Objection to the use of robots

Politicians and civil rights groups criticize the use of such machines in military actions, especially when using robots to interact with humanitarian cases, in the issue of refugees in particular, especially since the US border forces that participated in these recent experiments are famous for their inhumane behavior towards immigrants.

A 2021 Human Rights Watch investigation detailed 160 internal reports of physical and sexual abuse of asylum seekers at the border in recent years.

The Department of Homeland Security compared the deployment of robot dogs at the border to drones as a "force multiplier" that could complement human resource work.

As attempts to build walls across the US border have stalled, the government has increasingly turned its efforts to technological solutions, and robotic dogs appear to be the latest addition to these efforts.