Image showing a robot dog. For representational purpose.
Credit: Reuters File Photo
After winning the United States presidential elections having survived two assassination attempts, Donald Trump, perhaps expectedly, thought adding another layer of security wouldn't hurt him. And so he went ahead—now, the newest member guarding the President-elect's Mar-a-Lago estate is none other than a robot dog.
According to a report by Newsweek, the US Secret Service has deployed a robot dog equipped with advanced surveillance features to enhance the President-elect's security following the elections.
Strolling the estate grounds—which had a warning sign saying,'DO NOT PET'—the robot dog was also spotted by reporters from the New York Post.
Videos of the same have been shared widely on social media.
Made by Boston Dynamics, a robot dog is part of the Secret Service's new initiative that aims to eliminate the use of human guards in risky situations. However, they American agency hasn't divulged what other capabilities the mechanical dog has, beyond its powers of surveillance.
The move comes ahead of Trump's swearing in, and after his high-voltage US elections campaign that saw him escape attempts on his life not once, but twice. It is also unclear whether the use of robot dogs for the President-elect's security will be expanded over the coming weeks and months.
The move by the Secret Service also comes at a time when the US is seeing a rise in the use of robot dogs. According to NYPost, robot dogs like the one enlisted by the Secret Service are being used by many security agencies, including police and fire departments in many parts of the US.
Even the New York Police Department (NYPD) has its own version—'Digidogs'—which are used to diffuse tense situations without putting the lives of police personnel at risk.
Last year, a digidog was able to search for survivors in the rubble when a garage collapsed in New York. The robot dog was able to reach those areas which proved to be dangerous for humans.
The use of robot dogs for dangerous operations have also been seen in the military—for instance, amid the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, Kyiv has been using robot dogs to provide aid to those stranded and wounded in dangerous areas.