Robot dog can track down drugs, detect explosives

CHICAGO - A dog is a man's best friend, perhaps now more than ever thanks to some amazing new technology. 

We're talking about robot dogs, which are all-weather ground drones built to assist first responders. 

What can the latest iteration from Ghost Robotics do? Well, what do you want it to do?

This dog can go places where humans just can't — at least not easily and not without danger. 

Think: explosives detection or disasters where the terrain is treacherous.  

"In a disastrous situation where you have rubble, the dog is able to navigate that uneven terrain much better than a human," said Allen Beadel, AT&T Senior Drone Pilot.

These dogs can be equipped with HD cameras, thermal imaging and infrared capabilities.

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And, in the case of tracking down drugs, like fentanyl, this dog can hunt. 

"By equipping the dog with that sensor, we can send, or the public safety agency can send, this dog in to locate and remove suspected fentanyl with absolutely no risk to a human being," said Beadel.

Fluffie, as his handler calls him, weighs 117 pounds. If he ever falls over, which is rare, he'll pop right back up. 

Water hazards? Sub-zero weather? No problem. 

And, you don't have to be anywhere near Fluffie to direct him.

"We could give you the controller, we could have the dog here in Dallas, you could operate it remotely and you could actually conduct that search and recovery from several states away," said Beadel.

The latest iteration has been in use for about a year. The bare-bones cost for Fluffie is $150,000.