Robotic K9 joins Pullman Police Department

PULLMAN, Wash. — A new K9 is joining the Pullman Police Department – but he isn’t the traditional drug-sniffing, bad-guy-catching kind. He has four legs and responds to commands, but he’s made of metal.

MIKE, which stands for Mission-Integrated Kinetic Entity, is a robot dog created by technology start-up Unitree. The department says he will help to modernize the agency’s response to sensitive situations.

MIKE is essentially a ground-based drone controlled by a remote. The department says the dog will allow crisis negotiators to give clear commands from a safe distance, help de-escalate situations, and assess a threat without putting officers directly in harm’s way.

The department says it also plans to use MIKE to help with building searches, and transport items to people who may be trapped in unsafe locations.

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