A US company mounted a rifle on a four-legged robot
The prototype presented at a conference in Washington is the result of the collaboration between the arms companies Sword and Ghost
The Ghost robotics Vision 60 unit, equipped with the Spur system (Photo: Sword defense systems) In In recent years, four-legged robots have been one of the most interesting developments in robotics. Agile, able to cross environments otherwise unreachable by wheeled machines, they are already used in military reconnaissance operations or as a support for transport. So, someone installing a weapon on it was only a matter of time.US company Sword, which specializes in the production and sale of weapons, has produced a compatible weapon to be mounted on various robotic platforms. The weapon was called Spur (Special purpose unmanned rifle) and is basically a precision rifle, with a 30x optical zoom, a thermal viewer for night use and a range of 1200 meters. In the photos it is seen mounted on a Vision 60 quadruped unit, built by the US robotics company Ghost Robotics.
It is not yet clear whether the two companies are already selling this armed robot, but it is certain that it is they will do it soon. On the Sword website, on the Spur system page you can read "Sword defense systems Spur is the future of offensive systems without human presence and that future is now". The new offensive robot was first shown in Washington earlier this week, as reported by The Verge, during the annual conference of the United States Army Association. The event organizers call it an "earth power exhibition and professional development forum".
Ghost robotics' Vision 60 unit, equipped with the Spur system (Photo: Sword defense systems) No details have been given on the partnership between the two companies, but Ghost's quadrupedal robots are already employed in the US army. Last year alone, the 325th Tyndall Air Force Security Forces Squadron in Florida became the first Defense Department unit to deploy quadrupedal robots in the field. They are mainly used to patrol the perimeter of the base and that of swampy areas where humans and vehicles struggle to access.
Beyond reconnaissance activities, manufacturers are developing new capabilities for these robots. In addition to providing remote video and mapping, the machines could be used as cell line repeaters, to defuse explosive devices or detect the presence of chemical, biological or radioactive material. Also, as Sword and Ghost have shown, I can become offensive weapons.
Some of the major manufacturers of quadrupedal robots, such as Boston Dynamics, have adopted strict policies that prevent buyers from using their products as weapons. Others, however, seem to have no such ethical scruples. For some time, there has been alarm about the use of so-called lethal weapons systems and, officially, the policies of the United States and the European Union prohibit their development or use in the field. Many interest groups are lobbying governments to approve a preventive ban.
Consumer - 3 hours ago
A proposal to extend the stop to extra roaming costs to 2032
China's new privacy law looks a lot like Europe's
The ten most extraordinary cyborgs of all time in movies, series and cartoons
Topics
5G Weapons Drones Europe Artificial intelligence Robots United States globalData.fldTopic = "5G, Weapons, Drones, Europe, Artificial Intelligence, Robots, United States"
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
