To automate time-consuming security operations at its Cape Canaveral spaceport, the U.S. Space Force staged a demonstration employing robot dogs, according to a military press release.
Since robot dogs can complete activities without taking risks and are thus genuinely man’s best friend, they have been proposed as substitutes for numerous mundane and extremely dangerous jobs. However, organizations like Ghost Robotics are seeking to develop military applications for the same technology, while businesses like Boston Dynamics have intended to employ them for emergency and civilian purposes.
What tasks can robot dogs carry out?
When the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was considering using these robot dogs to patrol the Southwest U.S. border, we reported on it earlier this year. The DHS claims that the quadruped robotic animals are tough machines that can operate on both man-made surroundings like stairs and natural terrains like sand, gravel, and hills.
The robotic dogs can now swim in shallow waters thanks to a new function called Nautical Autonomous Unmanned Tail (NAUT), which was announced by the robotic dog’s creators in June. Since these canines can work nonstop without becoming weary, they are ideal for a variety of deployments.
How will Space Force use them in their deployment?
The Space Force intends to use the robotic dogs, also known as quadruped unmanned ground vehicles (Q-UGVs), for “manual and repetitive activities,” according to the press release. To that end, on July 27, the newest branch of the U.S. military performed a demonstration, which included a photo opportunity in front of a huge American flag.
These Q-UGVs appear to be particularly beloved by the U.S. Air Force, which is in charge of the Space Force and have been the subject of extensive testing for more than two years, mostly in its patrol dog configurations. This implies that the Q-UGV will be far more subdued than the gun-toting variants we saw last year.
According to Gizmodo, the Space Force also intends to employ these Q-UGVs to carry out “damage assessments” and “save considerable man-hours.” Since rocket launches take place at Cape Canaveral, the robot dogs may be used as part of safety procedures or even emergency reactions. The Space Force intends to deploy them as a component of Space Launch Delta 45, the guardian force of the Cape Canaveral Space Force activities, according to a report from Space.com.
It doesn’t take long for someone to assemble their armed patrol dog given that there are so many robotic dog manufacturers on the market. This poses serious risks to individuals, and it also damages the brand of businesses that do not want to utilize their robotic dogs in this manner.
I suppose we should only use these dogs for patrolling or, at most, for giving shooting instructions.