Business & Tech

Boston Dynamics Robot Used In French Military Training Drill

Images of Boston Dynamics' Spot show the dog standing alongside armed military in some photos of the training in France.

Images of Boston Dynamics' Spot show the dog standing alongside armed military in some photos of the training in France.
Images of Boston Dynamics' Spot show the dog standing alongside armed military in some photos of the training in France. (Jenna Fisher/Patch)

WALTHAM, MA — Boston Dynamics’s robot dog was spotted preparing to take to the battlefield recently.

French military school École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr shared images on Twitter of the Waltham-based robot dog called "Spot" alongside what looked like armed French soldiers with the caption "When EMIA goes into battle with ground robots."

Turns out the iconic yellow robot was part of training for military students, according to The Verge, which first reported the story in English.

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The company has said there are no plans for the machine to be used in military or law enforcement capacities. Instead, is intended for conducting search-and-rescue missions and working in environments too harsh for humans.

In the past year, Boston Dynamic robots have been used to patrol parks for people social distancing, amid the pandemic. It's also been eyed by Massachusetts State Police, to the chagrin of the ACLU.

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Boston Dynamics was created at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, purchased by Google then sold to Japan's SoftBank and then Hyundai.

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