The internet is an amazing place because every morning when you wake up, you can be sure that you will find something even stranger and crazier than you saw the day before. The most recent illustration of this is this crazy robotic dog that has a semi-automatic rifle placed on its back and is currently engaging in some target practice. I take it this is nothing out of the ordinary?
You will be able to watch the semi-automatic version of the robot dog here. The most incredible thing about it is that it was essentially a do-it-yourself effort that was completed by a man named Alexander Asimov. Unitree Yusu is the name of the robot in question. It is an automated machine with four legs that were manufactured in China and can be purchased on the open market for $3,000.
Regarding the firearm, it is a Kalashnikov PP-19 Vityaz submachine gun, which is the same firm that is responsible for producing the AK-47. This odd Robo-dog-gun, just like previous similar creations, looks to have been made to resemble Metalhead, the robotic canines that govern society in the television show Black Mirror. The design of those robotic dogs was influenced by the design of numerous robots made by Boston Dynamics, which is an American business that specializes in engineering and robotics design.
This wacky robo-dog was created for entertainment purposes, in contrast to Black Mirror’s Metalhead, which was developed for dramatic purposes. However, in the past, robots with comparable capabilities have been modified for use in military settings. For instance, SWORD International and Ghost Robotics collaborated on the development of two distinct types of robot dogs that might serve as ‘Special Purpose Unnamed Rifles’ (SPUR) as well as ‘Quadrupedal Unmanned Ground Vehicles.’ This partnership took place a year ago (QUGVs).