US Marines testing a robot dog armed with AI-enabled rifles
- The robot dog is built by Ghost Robotics
- It is paired with an AI-automated rifle by Onyx Industries
- The robo-dog will provide increased safety for soldiers
Published on May 13, 2024 at 1:42 PM (UTC+4)
by Nalin Rawat
Last updated on May 14, 2024 at 5:46 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
The US Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) is testing a robot dog armed with artificial intelligence-enabled rifles.
The tests are being conducted in an undisclosed location, according to Eric Shell, an Onyx Industries executive who supplied the AI gun system for the robot dogs.
However, the system still needs authorization from a human operator to engage.
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According to Shell, the US Marine command is using two Vision 60 quadrupedal UGVs from Ghost Robotics.
These robot dogs are equipped with gun systems based on Onyx’s SENTRY remote weapon system.
This is not the first time we have seen a robot equipped with a weapon though.
Just recently, a company has also started selling a $10,000 robot dog equipped with a flamethrower on its top.
The Department of Defense has been testing the robot dog for years.
However, now the military has also started integrating AI to detect potential threats to military assets.
The US Marines Special Forces command unit is now evaluating the addition of offensive capabilities to the machine.
So in a few years, you might see a robot dog in a US military promotional video doing target practice, just like this Chinese robo-dog.
The automated rifle will automatically detect targets using an AI-assisted Digital Imaging System.
It will then wait for authorization from a human operator to engage.
Using AI with robots is not a new thing.
Researchers at Stanford University and Shanghai Qi Zhi Institute are hard at work to develop a vision-based AI algorithm for robot dogs.
When used together, the words ‘autonomous’ and ‘robot’ can be kind of scary.
However, don’t worry as this robotic version of man’s best friend will not be used by Skynet for a robot uprising.
Instead, it will provide increased safety for soldiers.
Nalin Rawat
Nalin started his career by working with various national newspapers in India. He has also worked as a writer/editor for many popular websites, while still pursuing his journalism and mass communication degree. Working as a digital nomad has allowed him to inform and educate through his work. When he is not writing, you can find him playing video games or travelling the mountains on his bike.
