The French army's foremost military school, École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr, has released images of its newest team member: Spot, a four-legged robotic dog built by US firm Boston Dynamics. The robot participated in a two-day training exercise alongside several other robots and was reportedly used for reconnaissance.
During the exercise, soldiers simulated capturing a crossroads, defensive actions during night and day, and an urban combat test, according to French newspaper Ouest-France. But Spot did not perform as hoped. The newspaper reported that the robot ran out of power during an exercise and had to be carried. A photo in the paper shows soldiers carrying the bot's inert body.
Boston Dynamics' VP of business development, Michael Perry, told The Verge that the company had no idea about the exercise. "We're learning about it as you are," Perry said. "We're not clear on the exact scope of this engagement." After publication, a Boston Dynamics spokesperson clarified that although it wasn't aware of the specific training exercise, the company was aware that the French military was testing its robot.
The incident follows Spot's deployment with the New York City Police Department in February. Boston Dynamics' terms and conditions of sale forbid using the robot "to harm or intimidate any person or animal, as a weapon, or to enable any weapon." Perry told The Verge, "We think that the military, to the extent that they do use robotics to take people out of harm's way, we think that's a perfectly valid use of the technology."
But the company's initial lack of awareness about the French exercise raises questions about how its robots are being deployed. If something were to go wrong, responsibility remains unclear. Whether used for reconnaissance or active combat, Spot's future in military settings is uncertain.
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