Rover 2.0
To address the labor shortage, Ukraine plans to unleash packs of robot dogs on the invading Russian military, Agence France-Presse reports.
The robotic dogs will be used to detect land mines, go on reconnaissance missions to spy on the enemy in hostile territory and carry weapons, ammunition and medicine to the battlefield.
During a recent demonstration for journalists, one of the robot dogs dubbed BAD ONE crouched and ran not unlike its flesh-and-blood counterpart, showing off its compact size and stealthy agility.
“This dog limits the risk to soldiers and increases operational capability,” said a robot dog operator named Yuri, who works for a British military equipment company. AFP. “This is the dog’s core function.”
The robot dog has a battery life of two hours, a built-in thermal imaging system and a kill switch that deletes all its data should the robot fall into the hands of the Russians.
It just goes to show how military forces will use and push technology to its limit to gain an edge on the battlefield, even if the results look like they came out of the “Terminator” movies.
Dogs of Ware
In addition to Ukraine, other countries such as the United States and China are also using robotic dogs on the battlefield.
Recently, China presented a robot dog with a machine gun strapped to its backa dystopian glimpse into the future of warfare. Israel is also using robotic dogs in its war against Hamas in Gaza.
In addition to robot dogs, a variety of different types of drones has been a central part of the war in Ukraine, a breeding ground for new and experimental military technology.
Ukraine is using the robot dogs to limit the risks to soldiers on the front lines.
“We were concerned by the increasing reports of frontline casualties due to enemy drones,” Kyle Thorburn, head of British military contractor Brit Alliance, told the German newspaper Photo. “So we discussed the possibilities of a more secure solution for reconnaissance missions in high-risk areas.”
And the bid seems to be paying off.
“This not only increases the effectiveness of combat operations, but also strengthens the morale of the army,” Thorburn added.
More about robot dogs: Boston Dynamics shows off Robodog with fur