--- title: "Robot Dog Spotted Guarding Mar-a-Lago" description: "The US Secret Service has deployed a Boston Dynamics Spot robot dog in front of Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida." date: "2024-11-18" modified: "2024-11-18" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/robot-dog-spotted-guarding-mar-a-lago" categories: - "Robot Dogs" - "Robotics" - "Robots and Machines" tags: - "boston dynamics" - "donald trump" - "the digest" --- # Robot Dog Spotted Guarding Mar-a-Lago ![The US Secret Service has deployed a Boston Dynamics Spot robot dog in front of Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.]() *\Image: Joe Raedle/Getty Images\* ## Pet Sounds The US Secret Service has deployed a Boston Dynamics Spot robot dog to patrol president-elect Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. While the quadruped isn't armed, as the [*BBC* reports](), its legs are emblazoned with an ominous message to passersby: "DO NOT PET." The robot's deployment shouldn't come as too much of a surprise given the not just one but [two assassination attempts]() on Trump's life earlier this year. "Safeguarding the president-elect is a top priority," Secret Service chief of communications Anthony Guglielmi told the *BBC*. https://twitter.com/nypost/status/1854987028993097788 ## Patrol 2 As for what exactly the remotely-controlled robot dog is doing, apart from patrolling the lawns in front of Trump's gaudy residence, the Secret Service remained unsurprisingly mum. "While we cannot get into the specific capabilities, the robotic dogs are equipped with surveillance technology, and an array of advanced sensors that support our protective operations," a spokesperson [told the *New York Post*](). Experts argued they could help give existing security agents more oversight. "They can cover a lot more area" than human staff, former Secret Service agent Ron Williams told the *BBC*. Apart from guarding the new president of the United States, Boston Dynamics' robot dog has also been deployed by [police departments](), on factory floors and [construction sites](), and at [fire departments](). The military in particular has become interested in similar offerings from defense contractors. Last month, for instance, [*Military.com* reported]() that the US Army is experimenting with rifle-equipped robot dogs at a Middle Eastern testing facility. But the Spot robot dog strolling outside of Trump's residence will likely be far more defenseless. "You just have to spray it with Aqua Net hairspray in its 'face,'" George Mason University engineering professor Missy Cummings told the *BBC*. **More on robot dogs:** *[The US Army Is Testing Killer Robot Dogs With AI-Powered Rifles in the Middle East]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()