A new high-tech weapon has just been added to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s already-impressive arsenal: a robot dog called NEO. Its primary function is to aid in police raids by disrupting Wi-Fi signals and freezing electronic devices at home. If you can imagine Boston Dynamics’ Spot, then you have a good idea of what NEO looks like as it takes its form from the Quadruped Unmanned Ground Vehicle (Q-UGV) platform. But here’s where things get interesting— it sports an antenna array capable of crippling wireless networks on its path!
NEO was unveiled at the Border Security Expo in 2024, providing live audio-visual information to security officers so that they could be involved in the situation without being physically present. Benjamine Huffman, director of the DHS Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC), said this innovation was born from smart criminals using smart home devices along with IoT technology to set booby traps for law enforcement officers. When a DoS is carried out by NEO prior to entry, it means that security officers are able to ensure their safety by preventing these harmful devices from functioning further.
A DoS attack disrupts a device’s normal functioning by overwhelming it with requests, rendering it unusable. NEO’s onboard computer and antenna array create such attacks, safeguarding officers during high-risk raids. Huffman highlighted that the DHS has constructed a “FLETC Smart House” to train officers on the threats posed by smart devices and the importance of collecting them as evidence.
NEO, a modified version of Ghost Robotics’ VISION 60 Q-UGV, is a robust and agile ground drone equipped for various environments. It features robotic arms, thermal imaging, LiDAR, and multi-gas sensors. With onboard NVIDIA Jetson computing technology, it can perform real-time edge computing. The robot supports 2.4 and 5.8 GHz Wi-Fi, 4G/LTE radios, and has a gigabit switch for external radio connectivity, enabling all-weather operations.
Capable of 3.15 hours of continuous motion or 21 hours on standby with its systems powered, NEO represents a significant advancement in law enforcement technology, enhancing officer safety and operational efficiency during raids.