China has developed a robot dog armed with a machine gun
China demonstrated remote-controlled robotic dogs capable of firing machine guns in military exercises with Cambodia earlier this month.
According to a video published by state broadcaster CCTV, the battery-powered “robodogs” can run for two to four hours and are capable of moving back and forth, lying down and jumping.
They can also plan routes, approach goals, and avoid obstacles. According to CCTV, one of the robots shown in the video was equipped with a rifle for target practice.
Chen Wei, a Chinese soldier, told CCTV that the robotic dogs will “serve as a new participant in urban combat operations” and can replace the role of humans in identifying and engaging targets.
It seems that the robotic dogs were supplied by the Chinese manufacturer Unitree: robotic dogs on the company’s website cost from $2,800 to $100,000.
