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China’s robotic dog can shoot like a pro. What is the US doing?
- Chinese scientists have found robotic dogs can fire a machine gun with the accuracy of a skilled shooter during testing
- The findings could revolutionise the future of warfare, particularly when fighting battles in an urban landscape
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Stephen Chenin Beijing
Legions of robotic dogs are being produced by China, with most of the four-legged machines being used as novelty electronic pets or for doing mundane tasks such as carrying a discus to a track and field athlete. But not all of them.
Footage released by the Chinese military through state media in recent years shows some of these dogs are being armed and put into live military exercises.
Critics dismiss the videos as propaganda, arguing that the slight build of these robots would make them ill-suited to handle the recoil of standard firearms, let alone fire with the speed and precision of a trained soldier.
Others, however, see vast potential in this emerging technology, saying it could revolutionise future warfare.
The US Marine Corps bought several units to evaluate the combat effectiveness of the Chinese-made robotic dogs last year.
And while the results of that evaluation are not available, a study by Chinese scientists suggests these robotic dogs may outshoot even seasoned troops when it comes to handling firearms.
The study “demonstrates the feasibility of a legged strike platform”, lead scientist Xu Cheng and his team wrote in a peer-reviewed paper published in the Chinese Journal of Engineering last month.
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