[imagesource: MSCHF Product Studio / Screenshot by CNET]

When it comes to robot dogs, Boston Dynamics leads the way.

Do you want a robot dog that herds sheep? You got it.

Just don’t expect New Zealand’s farmers to jump with joy at the prospect, because they’re old school.

The most popular robot dog has been named Spot, and has already been featured dancing, climbing things, and even helping in the fight against COVID-19.

Boston Dynamics isn’t about to go strapping a gun to Spot’s back, but that’s where prankster art / marketing collective MSCHF enters the fray.

MSCHF (mischief, get it?) forked out a cool $74 500 (around R1,1 million) to purchase a Spot robo-dog from Boston Dynamics, and then mounted a Tippmann 98 paintball gun on its back.

Then the collective took it a step further, allowing people around the world to remotely control the bot via their phones in an art gallery filled with its own work for two minutes.

The event took place yesterday – you can still see the website here, titled Spot’s Rampage – and it has certainly rubbed the folks at Boston Dynamics the wrong way.

Have a look at the event’s trailer for an idea of what we’re dealing with:

Sure, it’s fun and games in an art gallery, but using the same technology, somebody could theoretically control a robo-dog with a real gun, walking around the streets.

There is no way that ends well.

Ahead of Spot’s Rampage, Boston Dynamics made it clear they were not on board:

pic.twitter.com/8BjVXhfZjP

— Boston Dynamics (@BostonDynamics) February 20, 2021

As The Verge reports, though, perhaps Spot’s makers should get off their high horse:

News stories over the last couple of years report that police departments have been testing these somewhat terrifying robot dogs to see if they’re useful out in the field. Which is to say: if your company is going to take funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop robots, don’t be surprised if people see potentially nefarious uses for the things it makes…

Image: MSCHF

Nevertheless, the MSCHF folks agree that it’s utterly terrifying to see Spot walking around with a gun on its back. “It feels like five years from now, I could be walking around Brooklyn and just see one of these things with like a taser on it being controlled by the cops,” [MSCHF Swiss army knife Daniel] Greenberg says. “Who knows what the future holds?”

Yes, who knows, although I hope it doesn’t hold armed robo-dogs patrolling the streets, paintball gun or otherwise.

The world has enough on its plate right now, thanks.

[source:verge]