To assist the military in logistics and reconnaissance operations, China has developed what it claims is the largest quadrupedal robot in the world.
The four-legged robot, which has a “yak appearance,” can carry up to 160 kg (352 pounds) of cargo and travel at 10 kilometers per hour (six miles).
The platform structure is built to withstand off-grid military operations and run, jump, rotate or go diagonally across different scenarios. And when I say “different” I really mean different: cliffs, trenches, prairies, fields, deserts, snowstorms and swamps.
A military quadruped
The platform has 12 cutting-edge modules and sensors, which allow it to collect tactical information on the battlefield and execute logistics, according to the China Global Times, among the first Chinese newspapers to relaunch the news.
The possible military applications of this quadruped war robot? As mentioned, all-weather operations in high-risk combat zones, remote border regions and complex terrain. In other words: things that have proved too difficult for the soldiers. But do we want to rule out that sooner or later these contraptions are equipped with heavy weapons?
He is not the first four-legged 'soldier'
In addition to the latest robot just unveiled, China also has another bionic “dog” called Geda that weighs 32 kg (70,5 lbs) and can carry 40 kg (88,1 lbs) of cargo. The significantly smaller quadruped robot understands simple voice commands and uses facial recognition.
It has also passed trials conducted in traversed forests, rocky roads, narrow passages and single-plank bridges.
