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New York mayor De Blasio puts down "creepy" police robo-dog that was working
with NYPD

  [21]Carla Sinclair 10:03 am Fri Apr 30, 2021

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  After Digidog, a nightmarish robot dog, worked alongside the NYPD as
  part of a law enforcement trial (which was supposed to run until
  August), mayor Bill De Blasio told it to go back home. He cancelled the
  $94,200 contract with robot company [23]Boston Dynamics, saying he's
  "glad the Digidog was put down."

  "It's creepy, alienating, and sends the wrong message to New Yorkers,"
  a city spokesperson added.

  From [24]The Guardian:

    The 70lb robot could run at three and a half miles per hour and
    climb stairs. It was primarily intended to go into situations deemed
    dangerous for officers, and had been undergoing trials in the Bronx
    since it was unveiled last December.

    "This dog is going to save lives, protect people, and protect
    officers, and that's our goal," [25]a police spokesman said at the
    time. Officials later said that the robot's purpose was to take
    police officers out of harm's way.

    But the dog sparked an immediate backlash, with critics noting
    police dogs have been traditionally used to suppress and intimidate
    communities of color. Some critics also pointed out it was
    reminiscent of robot dogs in the dystopian Netflix series Black
    Mirror.

  Digidog started off as a [26]pup named Spot – a label that somewhat
  disguised it, allowing us to believe it was a cute, albeit highly
  sophisticated robot, rather than this dystopian patrol-dog that Boston
  Dynamics trained it to be.

  When Digidog was Spot:

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    * [28]TWEET
    * [29]COMMENTS

    * [30]boston dynamics
    * [31]Digidog
    * [32]dystopias
    * [33]real life black mirror

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[34]Robot dog picks things up, opens doors, turns off gas
      Picking up laundry: a better task for Spot the Boston Dynamics
      robot dog than whatever uses the authorities will dream up for it.
      Now that Spot has an arm in addition to legs and cameras, it can do
      mobile manipulation. It finds and picks up objects (trash), tidies
      up the living room, opens doors, operates… [35]READ THE REST
    *

[36]Watch: Boston Dynamics robots dancing to The Contours' "Do You Love Me?"
      Boston Dynamics is preparing our robot overlords for a revolution,
      a dance one! The company posted this video of their crew dancing to
      The Contours' "Do You Love Me?" as a "Happy New Year" message.
      (Pee-wee Herman) [37]READ THE REST
    *

[38]These robots are programmed to tear up the dance floor
      [39]3 robots dancing in a warehouse These gyrating, mashed
      potatoing robots might be your answer for a virus-free New Year's
      date. Robotics pioneers Boston Dynamics have just released a new
      video featuring four of their remarkably agile robots – including
      the bipedal Atlas, the dog-shaped Spot, and the box-juggling
      Handle – tearing it up with a choreographed routine to The
      Contours' "Do you… [40]READ THE REST
    *

[41]This doggy DNA test can be the key to a long, healthy life for your
pupper
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