According to a report by 404 Media on 22 July 2024, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has acquired and modified a dog-like robot called NEO. This robot, equipped with an antenna array, can overload home networks to disable Internet of Things (IoT) devices during law enforcement operations. Benjamine Huffman, director of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC), revealed the details at the 2024 Border Security Expo. NEO, a modified version of Ghost Robotics’ Vision 60 quadruped unmanned ground vehicle (Q-UGV), helps disable potentially dangerous smart home devices that could be used as booby traps. This development follows an incident in 2021 in which a suspect used a doorbell camera to spy on FBI agents and shot at them, killing two agents. The DHS has also created the ‘FLETC Smart House’ to train officers on how to deal with IoT devices that could be used against them. Robotic pets are becoming increasingly popular with homeland security agencies and police forces. Boston Dynamics’ Spot is used on patrols in New York City and Germany.
BY OLIVER BENDEL
