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Humanoid robots capable of autonomously navigating rugged terrain and detecting people could eventually join federal agents patrolling the southern border, with one U.S. robotics company telling Digital it has already demonstrated the technology to Department of Homeland Security officials.
Sankaet Pathak, founder and CEO of Foundation, spoke with Digital to discuss the company’s development of humanoid robotics and their potential applications at the border.
Pathak said Foundation is in talks with several national security agencies and that negotiations have already begun.
“We’re in conversations with almost all national security government bodies, so Air Force, Navy, Army, DHS,” Pathak said. “We continue to have dialogues. We’re starting to negotiate contracts and some applications for them.”
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Foundation CEO Sankaet Pathak says the company’s Phantom humanoid robot could patrol rugged terrain and flag potential border crossings for federal agents. (Foundation)
A DHS spokesperson told Digital that no formal arrangement is currently in place.
“The Department of Homeland Security currently does not have any non-contractual agreements, pilots, or active prime contracts with Foundation.”
Pathak envisions Phantom conducting reconnaissance and surveillance in terrain that can be difficult for humans, vehicles, aerial drones or fixed cameras to navigate.
“If drones and watchtowers were able to solve for everything, why do we still have humans at the border?” Pathak told Digital.
Pathak said existing automated solutions struggle with tasks ranging from logistics to navigating complex terrain, adding that he thinks “humanoids will fill that gap quite well.”
Pathak said Phantom can distinguish humans from other obstacles, autonomously traverse uneven terrain and map its environment. The company’s goal is for robots to conduct those reconnaissance functions autonomously before flagging potential border crossings for human officers.
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Foundation says a more rugged version of its Phantom robot is expected in the coming months, with waterproof and dustproof capabilities. (Foundation)
Pathak also pointed to tunnels along the border as another potential application for the technology, saying Foundation would explore underground operations as part of its use cases.
“Our biggest thing is if we can keep our officers in a safe place, and these robots can continue to surveil 24/7,” Pathak said.
He said robots could flag significant activity and allow human officers to respond when intervention is necessary.
“Tomorrow I think we could do a pilot. Next couple of months we can do something much larger.”
Pathak said weather resistance remains one of the principal limitations of the current Phantom, but a second-generation model expected in the coming months is designed to be waterproof, dustproof and substantially more rugged for outdoor deployment.
While Foundation’s immediate vision centers on surveillance and reconnaissance, Pathak said the company would be willing to arm robots for border operations if requested by the federal government. He stressed, however, that the machines are not envisioned making enforcement decisions independently in the near future.
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Foundation says its Phantom humanoid robot can autonomously navigate uneven terrain, detect people and map its surroundings. (Foundation)
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“They will detect and then flag and then a human would decide kind of like what the next step it needs to be,” Pathak said.
