A post by the state-owned Russian news agency RIA Novosti on its telegram channel shows the Russian robot dog with an RPG strapped to its back, displayed at a Russian arms show.
The logical next step in the robot arms race was unveiled this week at a Russian arms show by a developer: a Boston Dynamics-style dog robot with an RPG attached to its back.
A video of the robot in operation, in which the robot tiptoes around before laying down on the ground with its RPG pointing forward, was released by the state-owned Russian news agency RIA Novosti. The robot itself is clad in a black suit resembling a ninja’s, with peeking eyes that appear to be cameras.
“This is a sample of the M-81 robotic system, capable of conducting aimed shooting and transporting weapons, and for civilian purposes it can be used in the emergency zone for reconnaissance, passage through rubble and delivery of medicines,” according to RIA Novosti, which claimed to have spoken to the developers.
“When used in combat, the robotic dog can also be engaged in target designation, patrolling and security,” the post added.
The footage was captured at Moscow’s ongoing “Army-2022” arms show. According to the conference’s website, it runs from Monday through Sunday and will feature more than 28,000 exhibits and 1,500 participants. A military truck that is unmanned and lacks a cockpit was also displayed by one exhibitor.
Motherboard published a story in July about a YouTube channel that posted a video of a similar-looking robot dog with a functional submachine gun attached. A hacker later discovered this month that the specific model of robot utilized shipped with a killswitch that could be used to turn the robot off.
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