FIFA World Cup 2026: Mexican police to deploy robot dogs

For the FIFA World Cup 2026, which will be hosted in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, the municipality of Guadalupe, a city in the greater Monterrey area of Mexico, is relying on four-legged robot dogs to support police officers. This was announced by the municipality of Guadalupe on Monday. The K9-X robot unit comprises four robot dogs that will patrol the surroundings of World Cup events and assist officers in dangerous situations.

The municipality of Guadalupe does not provide precise details about the robot dogs used. However, they appear to be four-legged robot dogs from the Chinese robotics company Unitree: the Go2. The robot is equipped with Lidar and cameras, allowing it to navigate autonomously and avoid obstacles, among other functions. Additionally, it has been upgraded for police use, including a night vision device. The Mexican police operate it remotely and monitor it via a real-time camera feed. Officers address potential threats via an audio connection.

Robot dogs for initial intervention

In use, it is intended to make contact with potential criminals before the police officers arrive, thereby minimizing the risk to police officers.

During the presentation of the new K9-X unit, the robot was sent into an abandoned building to locate an armed person. Through the voice connection, the police ordered the man to drop his weapon and surrender. Whether this will work as well in reality remains to be seen in future deployments.

According to Guadalupe Mayor Hector Garcia, the robot dogs are to be used for initial intervention in all incidents, such as brawls and addressing intoxicated individuals. The four-legged robots will also be deployed in hard-to-reach areas around the World Cup venues, as the Go2 can move safely in difficult terrain and climb stairs.

However, the robots are not armed. They are used exclusively as eyes, ears, and a mouthpiece for police officers to detect dangers early on.

The robots are also to be deployed in the BBVA Stadium, which will be called Estadio Monterrey during the FIFA World Cup. A total of four World Cup matches are scheduled to take place there.

The municipality of Guadalupe has spent around 2.5 million Pesos (approximately 122,300 euros) for the four robot dogs of the K9-X unit, which have been upgraded for deployment. Security at the FIFA World Cup stadiums in Mexico will be further enhanced by the use of additional technology, including drones and drone defense systems.

(olb)