Armed forces around the world are racing to be the first to deploy robot dogs on the battlefield.
In a chilling echo of Black Mirror, which featured metal dogs with machine guns strapped to their backs hunting actress Maxine Peak in 2017, powers including Russia, China, the US and the UK are experimenting with this spooky technology.
Last month, China introduced robohounds armed with machine guns during a military training exercise held by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and Cambodian forces earlier this month.
Cutting technology is implemented in a robot dog
While it may seem like the plot of a Black Mirror show, Americans can now purchase a flamethrower robot dog online.
The robot spits out a fierce stream of flames.
It can light almost any target.
Ohio-based Throwflame recently opened sales of its ‘Thermonator’
The Black Mirror version of the robbery dog
Gurkha engineers are shown a British version of the technology.
The British Army has also shown off its armored companions.
The British Army version does not appear to carry weapons.
Instead, it could be used for reconnaissance.
In a video shared by state broadcaster CCTV, the creatures can operate for between two and four hours, planning routes, approaching targets and avoiding obstacles.
One of the robots shown in the video was equipped with a rifle to shoot targets.
Chen Wei, a Chinese soldier, told China Central TV that robot dogs “will serve as a new member in urban combat operations” and can replace the role of human soldiers in identifying and attacking targets.
The robot dogs appeared to be supplied by Chinese manufacturer Unitree, Axios said. Robot dogs on the Unitree website cost between £2,197 and £78,400.
An earlier echo of Netflix’s prophetic show came in 2022, when the Russian founder of a hover bike company was shown playing with a robot dog carrying a submachine gun strapped to its back.
Alexander Atamanov uploaded the viral video showing a UnitreeYushu dogbot that he sells online for about $3,000, shooting snow-covered hills outside.
Boston Dynamics has said it will not sell its products to people who intend to turn them into weapons.
And in the United States, citizens can even buy their own flame-throwing robot dogs online.
Ohio-based Throwflame opened sales of its ‘Thermonator’ in April, selling its 37-pound quadruped machine for $9.42 billion, which is legal in every US state except Maryland.
A demo video shows him crawling and jumping through a forest before setting his surroundings ablaze with a 30-foot jet of fire from a flamethrower on his back.
The company did not describe it as a weapon, but touts the flamethrowing robot for use in wildfire control, farm management, entertainment and ice removal.
The Ministry of Defense has also been trialling similar technology, testing “potential use cases” for the Ghost robotic dog in 2022.
Developed by Ghost Robotics, it can navigate complex urban and natural terrain, carry up to 10kg, and even deploy by parachute.
Discussing its capabilities, Lance Corporal Heath of 16 Air Assault Brigade said: “As airborne engineers, we would definitely use this as our eyes and ears. If we were approaching a complex or an uncertain area, we would look for equipment that would allow us Move forward and explore the area.
‘With things like thermal imaging, you can attach “LIDAR” to be able to map an image in 3D. In this way, commanders could assess dangers and mitigate advancing ones. The only goal of a team like this is to keep soldiers out of harm’s way.
Boston Dynamics’ videos chronicling their dogs’ progress have achieved viral fame, and the Black Mirror episode Metalhead only crystallized existing fears about their potentially violent uses.
Maxine Peake is chased by the creatures.
The actress is running for her life on the show.
But that doesn’t mean robotics should be intended solely for bloodshed.
The British government has said robotic pets will be given to pensioners as part of a £4m campaign that will use technology to alleviate loneliness and reduce hospital admissions.
In March, the Department of Health said thousands of people on welfare could get artificial animals as part of a trial.
Authorities hope these lifelike devices, which often use artificial intelligence to respond to their owners, will reduce dependence on caregivers and help people live independently.
They will be delivered to people with dementia, low mood and anxiety, learning difficulties and other health conditions through pilot programs in Milton Keynes, Luton and other parts of Bedfordshire.
It comes after trials found that robots can have a similar effect on patients to animal therapy, providing a connection to memories and helping to improve mood.
BOSTON DYNAMICS SHOWS ‘CUJO THE BIG DOG’
Boston Dynamics first made headlines with Cujo, also known as ‘Big Dog’.
It took two million dollars (£1.6 million) and four years to create and was tested by the US Marines.
It is one of a series of dog-shaped robots created by the company.
The Boston Dynamics robots are shown above, with a humanoid and ‘dogs’ of different sizes.
He can walk and run over rough terrain, following a soldier while carrying his equipment and weapons.
He can stand, walk 20 miles without rest, and carry up to 400 lbs.
The controls are easy to learn and have joysticks and one recruit said that using them “feels like playing Call of Duty.”