They are currently going for just over R1.9 million.

Boston Dynamics has been working hard on perfecting their robotic dogs which were initially meant to be used by the military in countries like the United States of America. Now, the industrial version of their Spot surveillance robotic dog is available in South Africa.

Going for R1.9 million, the robot is indeed something reserved for a select few. The company distributing the robots in South Africa have indicated that they mainly foresee the product being used by mining companies, but other security applications might very well end up occurring.

The robotic dog is built in such a way that it can autonomously operate and walk a perimeter. If it sees something suspicious, it will alert the relevant security teams accordingly.

The units are also equipped with high-quality 360-degree cameras which film and save everything the robot sees.

Spot has been designed to carry payloads of up to 14kg so it can also be used to transport valuable items along the same path in a secure manner. It can also be programmed to notify its owners of a range of different occurrences it sees.

For instance, in Korea, Spot robots have been used to guard a factory. It has been set up in such a way that it knows how to spot an open door and to investigate any unauthorised entry into the building if it does indeed spot doors that are ajar.

Boston Dynamics have said that the robotic dogs are not meant for residential use at this stage and that they are best placed in industrial settings.