See bot run!
The FDNY tested a new robot dog the department will use for search-and-rescue missions — offering a first glimpse of the four-legged firefighter, exclusive footage shows.
Smoke eaters took the $75,000 robo-pooch named Spot — which can sniff out dangerous gases and collect structural safety data — for a walk up the stairs of City Hall on Thursday.
Though the mechanical mutt has less charm than a firehouse Dalmatian, it’s built to gauge the integrity of smoldering structures and descend deep underground after a fire or building collapse, the FDNY said.
Mayor Eric Adams walks with the FDNY’s new robot dog. Ed Reed/NYC Mayor
The robot dog was tested out on Thursday. Christopher Sadowski
A Boston Dynamics robot dog that was purchased by New York City for search and rescue use by the FDNY is tested in front of City Hall. Christopher SadowskiThe department also showcased the bright yellow gadget to Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday, and officers are already being trained on how to use it, according to the fire officials.
The department bought two of the human-controlled robot K9s made by Boston Dynamics — the same firm that leased the NYPD its since-scrapped robot dog last year.
Last year, critics howled that the NYPD’s mechanical pooch was an example of dystopian “surveillance” and overly aggressive policing after footage of the device patrolling a housing complex in the Bronx emerged.
The robot is built to gauge the integrity of smoldering structures and descend deep underground after a fire or building collapse. Christopher SadowskiThe city realized it may have been barking up the wrong tree, and ended a contract with Boston Dynamics in April 2021.
