Police test robot dog for potential UK rollout

Meet the robot dog that could soon be coming to a police force near you.

It looks like something from a sci-fi movie, but Nottinghamshire Police believes it could potentially save lives.

The robot dog is fitted with several cameras - to detect people and weapons - and a loudspeaker, which allows officers to speak to a suspect remotely.

The force's firearms training team will carry out a trial over the next three months to see if it could be sent into dangerous situations instead of police officers.

The results of the trial will be fed back to the Home Office with recommendations on how it could be used in frontline policing.

If deemed a success, the force says it could enter operational service across the country by 2026.

The robot dog can climb stairs and scramble over obstacles

The robot dog has been a pet project for its 22-year-old designer, Nathan Wallace, from Gedling, who said it could be used like a land-based drone and was equipped with several cameras which he believes could prove an asset to officers.

He added: "We have an AI camera which can detect weapons - so handguns, knives, baseball bats, hammers, that sort of thing.

"We have a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) system which can go into a room and immediately scan its surroundings. It essentially uses lasers and pings them out against a wall.

"Then on the back, we've got cameras which are all viewable by the remote, so we've got a kilometre of range there."

The new technology will be used in various training scenarios

The robot, which has four legs with small wheels, also has a remote control unit which can be used to make it climb stairs or tree stumps.

As well as being used to speak to suspects remotely, the force believes the robot could also be used for reconnaissance during an incident involving chemical or biological agents.

It can also carry supplies and could be deployed in confined spaces or buildings which an aerial drone cannot access.

The robot dog can climb over logs and tree stumps and walk up and down stairs

Ch Insp Andy Reynolds said he was "very excited" about how the technology could benefit not only Nottinghamshire Police, but all forces across the UK.

"Sieges, hostage situations. Where we might not want to get an officer to go into a situation and speak to somebody face to face," he added.

The three-month national trial will also look at the limitations of the new technology and whether the £24,000 cost of each unit is value for money.

Robotic dogs are not a new idea and are being used for everything from online shopping deliveries to armed patrols of US military bases.

Trials of a similar robot dog by New York City police were scrapped in 2021, following an outcry over their deployment to patrol public housing.

A spokesman for New York City mayor Bill de Blasio said their "Digidog" was "creepy, alienating, and sends the wrong message to New Yorkers".

The robot dog could be used in siege and hostage situations

Ch Insp Reynolds said he understood that the public may have questions about the use of a robot dog by the police.

"They do look a bit unusual, and I think with any piece of policing equipment, they are going to have legitimate concerns about the ethical impact of it," he said.

"That is something we do take really seriously. During the 12-week trial period we will be reviewing that.

"There are absolutely no plans to fit any kind of weapons (and) they're not going to be used as enforcement tools or anything like that."

If deemed a success, the robot dog could enter operational use from 2026

Nottinghamshire Police said the prototype did not yet have a name, but some officers have suggested "Watson".

However, it cannot chase a suspect, or sniff out weapons and drugs.

As a result, the force says it has no plans to use it to replace traditional police dogs.