Humanoid robots could soon patrol US southern border

Humanoid robots capable of navigating difficult terrain and identifying people could eventually be deployed alongside federal agents along the US southern border, Foundation, a US robotics company developing the technology, has said.

The company confirmed that it has already demonstrated its humanoid robots to officials at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Caliber.Az reports, citing Fox News.

According to Sankaet Pathak, founder and CEO of Foundation, the company is developing its humanoid robot, Phantom, for a range of security applications, including surveillance and reconnaissance along the border.

He made clear that Foundation is currently communicating with multiple US national security agencies.

"We're in conversations with almost all national security government bodies, so Air Force, Navy, Army, DHS," Pathak noted. "We continue to have dialogues. We're starting to negotiate contracts and some applications for them."

However, DHS stressed that there is currently no formal agreement between the department and Foundation.

"The Department of Homeland Security currently does not have any non-contractual agreements, pilots, or active prime contracts with Foundation."

Pathak said Phantom could be particularly useful in areas where conventional surveillance systems, vehicles, drones or fixed cameras have difficulty operating. He argued that humanoid robots could address some of the limitations of existing automated systems.

"If drones and watchtowers were able to solve for everything, why do we still have humans at the border?" he added.

He further stated that current automated technologies face challenges involving logistics and movement across complicated terrain, adding that "humanoids will fill that gap quite well."

Foundation claimed that Phantom can identify people among other objects, move independently across uneven ground and create maps of its surroundings. The company's longer-term objective is for the robots to perform surveillance autonomously and alert human officers when they detect possible border crossings.

Underground tunnels could also become a potential use for the technology.

According to Pathak, Foundation is considering underground operations as part of the robot's possible applications.

"Our biggest thing is if we can keep our officers in a safe place, and these robots can continue to surveil 24/7," Pathak emphasised.

Under the proposed model, robots would monitor areas continuously and alert authorities when they detect significant activity, allowing officers to intervene when necessary.

"Tomorrow I think we could do a pilot. Next couple of months, we can do something much larger."

Pathak acknowledged that the current Phantom has limitations when it comes to operating in harsh weather conditions. However, he maintained that a second-generation version expected in the coming months is being designed to withstand water and dust while offering greater durability for outdoor use.

For now, Foundation's focus is on reconnaissance and surveillance.

In Pathak’s words, the company would also consider equipping the robots with weapons if the federal government requested it for border operations.

He emphasised, however, that the robots are not expected to independently make enforcement decisions in the near term. Human officers would remain responsible for determining how to respond to anything detected by the machines.

"They will detect and then flag and then a human would decide kind of like what the next step it needs to be," Pathak explained.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov