Mexican authorities plan to use robot dogs to bolster security during the 2026 World Cup, which will run from June 11 to July 19 and is being hosted jointly by Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
The four-legged “animaloid” robots, acquired for 2.5 million pesos ($145,000) by the city council of Guadalupe in the Monterrey metropolitan area, are designed to enter high-risk areas and stream live video to police officers, allowing them to assess situations before taking action.
Guadalupe will host one of the tournament’s venues, BBVA Stadium, also known as Estadio Monterrey during the World Cup, which will hold four matches.
A video released by the local government shows one of the robots walking through an abandoned building and climbing stairs, albeit with some difficulty.
During a demonstration, the robot approached an armed man and issued commands via a loudspeaker, ordering him to drop his weapon while transmitting live images back to police officers following it stealthily.
The robot dogs are intended to “support police officers with initial intervention… to protect the physical safety of officers,” said Guadalupe Mayor Hector Garcia, adding that they would be deployed “in case of any altercation.”
