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Boston Dynamics says ICE would have to follow the same terms and ethical rules as every other customer, including a ban on weaponizing the robots.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is trying to tap a local company for assistance.
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ICE is planning to spend between $1 million and $2 million to to purchase Boston Dynamics’ Spot robots.
The formal procurement process lists an expected solicitation start date of Sept. 4. However, the government has not yet issued an RFP for this.
DHS said ICE wants to use the remotely operated robots to support public safety and law enforcement operations, including inspecting potentially dangerous areas, assessing hazards, and providing situational awareness without putting personnel at risk.
The robots, DHS said, could help improve officer safety and decision-making in incidents involving dangerous, confined, unstable, or otherwise difficult-to-access areas.
Boston Dynamics sells to many government agencies and public safety organizations. A company spokesperson said that the robots are used to keep people out of harm’s way and to help first responders in assessing dangerous situations. Examples include using Spot for hazardous gas detection, unexploded ordnance inspection, suspicious package investigation, search and rescue, subterranean or confined-space exploration, and structural assessments following fires, disasters, or other hazards.
The company did not say how ICE would use the robots.
Additionally, the company said that “any attempted weaponization of Boston Dynamics’ robots is strictly prohibited,” as outlined in its Terms and Conditions, ethical principles, and an open letter against weaponization.
“We pledge that we will not weaponize our advanced-mobility general-purpose robots or the software we develop that enables advanced robotics, and we will not support others to do so,” the open letter said. “When possible, we will carefully review our customers’ intended application to avoid potential weaponization.”
The open letter was led by Boston Dynamics and co-signed by five other leading robotics companies.
Gov. Maura Healey did not respond to a request for comment on ICE’s plans to purchase the Boston Dynamics robots. Healey has previously previously opposed ICE operating in Massachusetts, including signing legislation in August aimed at restricting the federal agency’s activities in the state.
At the same time, the Healey-Driscoll administration has backed Boston Dynamics and its expansion in Massachusetts, awarding the company $25 million to support its recently announced Waltham expansion.
“Boston Dynamics has played a central role in defining the global robotics industry from right here in our state, and it’s why we wanted them to choose Massachusetts as the site of their expansion,” Healey said in a statement at the time.
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