Massachusetts House passes bill banning weaponized robots and drones

The Massachusetts House is scheduled to vote Wednesday on a bill that would ban the manufacture, sale, possession, or operation of robots equipped with weapons. The legislation would make Massachusetts the first state to place such restrictions on drones and other unmanned devices.

The bill would prohibit attaching guns, explosives, lasers, or chemical irritants to robots. Violations would carry prison sentences of up to five years, with penalties reaching ten years for using a weaponized robot to threaten or restrain someone.

Police agencies would be allowed to use weapon-mounted robots to dispose of explosives. The bill would require officers to obtain a warrant before deploying such a device on private property or for surveillance. Representative Lindsay Sabadosa said the measure applies the same warrant rules to robots that already govern human officers.

She noted that robotic dogs have been used in hostage situations and other high-risk entries.

The legislation comes as Massachusetts prepares to host World Cup matches in Foxborough and a tall ships event in Boston Harbor this summer. U.S. robotics patents. Brendan Schulman, vice president of policy and government relations at Boston Dynamics, said the bill creates a common-sense framework for responsible robot use.

Boston Dynamics and other companies pledged four years ago not to weaponize their devices. Tom Ryden, executive director of MassRobotics, said there are currently no rules against equipping robots with weapons. State Senator Michael Moore said existing law does not prevent someone from mounting a flamethrower on a robot.

Representative Michael Day cited an incident in Phoenix where a teenager pleaded guilty to planning an attack on a pride parade using an explosive drone. U.S. Department of Defense, and defense contractors with federal contracts.