Hawaii Using Robot Dog To Patrol Homeless Community For Signs of COVID-19

Measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 continue ramping up, providing new opportunities for states to unleash advanced surveillance technologies on the public.

In Hawaii this year, the Honolulu Police Department employed a robotic dog from the company Boston Dynamics to patrol and monitor a homeless community. Equipped with cameras, two-way communication, artificial intelligence, and autonomous data collection capabilities, the robot scans eyes to detect for fevers — which could signal a person has COVID-19 — and interviews those who have tested positive.

Lt. Joseph O’Neal from the Honolulu Police Department publicly supported the use of the robot dog at a media demonstration. He stated, “A person will ask for food. They will ask for water. They’ll ask for masks. These were all things that we had to do face to face with someone, and we could facilitate through the robot. And that was the reason for it.”

He also downplayed human rights concerns, claiming, “Ours is pure humanitarian, and we have not had a single person out there that’s said, ‘That’s scary, that’s worrisome.’ It’s more of a positive interaction. In no way is it intimidating.”

Citizens from New York felt otherwise when the Boston Dynamics robot was released in the city late last year. “I can’t believe what I’m seeing. It felt surreal … It scared me,” stated NYCHA President of the Resident Association Melanie Auchello, who witnessed the robot respond to a domestic dispute at the public housing complex. – READ MORE