Robot Dogs with AI-Targeting Rifles Now Under US MARSOC Testing : Science : Tech Times

May 9, 2024

31 2 minutes read

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Dogs may be a human’s best friend, but this new generation of robot dogs from Ghost Robotics and Onyx Industries features AI-targeting rifles strapped on its back, which are now under testing by the US military.

The United States Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) is now evaluating the recently developed killer robot dogs.

Ghost Robotic’s robot dogs are under testing and are made for surveillance, but the latest developments from Onyx equip the quadruped machines with remote weapons systems (RWS) that bring the attack.

Robot Dogs with AI-Targeting Rifles Now Under US MARSOC Testing

(Photo: Onyx Industries)

A new report shared that Ghost Robotic’s robot dogs are under testing by the US MARSOC, specifically for its quadruped robot dogs classified as Q-UGVs (unmanned ground vehicles) for recon and surveillance, said The War Zone.

However, there is now a massive possibility of attaching weapons to these robot dogs, particularly as it was reported that the US Marines had tested weaponized robot dogs before.

In this case, Onyx Industries confirmed that the US MARSOC has two weaponized robot dogs featuring its SENTRY remote weapon system that features AI.

Additionally, Onyx shared a video of a robot dog equipped with its AI-targeting rifles in collaboration with AimLock, showing a remote-controlled dog and weapons system.

Ghost Robotic’s Dog and Onyx’s AI-Targeting Weapons

Ghost Robotic’s dog is a quadruped dog that can be controlled, but with Onyx’s AI-targeting weapons, it would be a force to be reckoned with if used in military operations.

Onyx’s SENTRY RWS uses AI for digital imaging, which could also autonomously identify, track, and detect humans, drones, and vehicles.

However, it was designed not to shoot down a potential target autonomously, with humans still in control of eliminating what the AI identified.

Robot Dogs for War: Is It a Need?

The dawn of robot dogs and other remote-controlled machines was initially made to make work easier for humans, but since then, it has been applied to military needs and warfare, which some have feared.

It is known that Boston Dynamics, an American company now owned by Hyundai, has previously claimed that it will not weaponize its robots.

However, this does not stop other robots and weapons makers from developing these machines for the military or government to use and arm themselves with the technology when needed.

It was previously revealed that the US military plans to deploy autonomous weapons systems, a.k.a. a robot army, to counter China’s rise and power growth.

While this will benefit human soldiers to avoid getting injured or dying in battle, it would be unfair to the other party who are still fighting with people, not to mention civilians who will get caught in the crossfire.

The US Marines may only be testing Ghost Robotic’s quadruped dog, but Onyx already previewed how it can weaponize it with AI-targeting rifles on its back, unknown if it would be used by the United States.

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May 9, 2024

31 2 minutes read