Wichita police will buy a single robot dog for $340,000, the Wichita City Council decided in a narrow 4-3 vote Tuesday. The vote was initially delayed last month so council members could learn more about the police department’s technology at its March 24 workshop meeting. The robot, also known as Spot, was created by Boston Dynamics originally for use in manufacturing sites. The robots have since begun to be used by police departments to resolve hostage situations and during bomb calls. Originally, the Wichita Police Department asked for two robot dogs, one for the bomb squad and another for its SWAT unit. But with approval for just one robot, the department said that will go to its bomb squad.
Read more: Wichita Eagle