Science & Technology

US marines start training with robotic dog

By T.K. Randall
September 22, 2015

Image: Spot by Boston Dynamics
Credit: Jonte / CC BY-SA 4.0 (adapted) The dog-like robot, which was originally developed alongside several other models by the Google-owned technology company Boston Dynamics, is now being tested out by marines in Quantico, Virginia in the hope that it can be used as a support platform for military operations.

"Spot is great and has exceeded the metrics that we've provided," said Cpt James Pineiro, head of the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab. "We see it as a great potential for the future dismounted infantry." "We want to continue to experiment with quadruped technology and find ways that this can be employed to enhance the Marine Corps war-fighting capabilities."

The robotic dog is particularly adept at crossing uneven terrain and could help to save lives by entering potentially unsafe environments ahead of the soldiers during a military engagement.

It's also possible that some of DARPA's other recent inventions, including a walking humanoid robot called Atlas, could go on to see use on the battlefield in the not-too-distant future.


Source: UPI.com

Tags: Boston Dynamics, Dog, Robot