Ukraine to unleash robot dogs on its front lines for detecting mines, spying
- Stealthy and agile, they could soon become an invaluable ally on the front line for an Ukrainian army that is short on manpower
Ukraine could soon unleash robot dogs on its front lines, replacing soldiers for perilous missions like spying on Russian trenches or detecting mines.
At a demonstration in an undisclosed part of Ukraine, the metallic dog known as model “BAD One” stood up, crouched, ran and jumped according to commands transmitted by its operator.
Stealthy and agile, they could soon become an invaluable ally on the front line for an Ukrainian army that is short on manpower to repel the Russian invasion, its makers said.
Low on the ground and therefore difficult to detect, the robot dogs can use thermal imaging to inspect enemy trenches or the inside of buildings in combat zones.
“We have surveillance soldiers who get sent on reconnaissance missions [who] are most of the time very highly trained people, very experienced people [and] always exposed to risks,” said the operator who called himself “Yuri”, as he showed it to AFP journalists.