A screen-grab of footage from Kurt & Company's Telegram channel testing a new robotic dog on the front lines of Ukraine in Toretsk in August 2024. (Kurt & Company 28th Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces)
Personnel from the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) are trialling a new robotic quadruped on the front line in Toretsk, near Bakhmut.
Infantry from the Kurt & Company 28th Mechanized Brigade who are trialling the platform published promotional-style footage and images of the unidentified remote-controlled robotic quadruped on their Telegram channel on 2–5 August.
In the footage the quadruped moves dynamically in the urban and rural environment, jumping, rolling, and moving in undergrowth as well as running alongside a soldier. The robot's portability was evident as a soldier carried it in one hand with ease. The system is designed to support reconnaissance missions.
Although the name of the system is not detailed, its physical characteristics distinctly resemble those of the Unitree Go2 robotic quadruped, featuring a prominent circular LIDAR (light detection and ranging) and a horizontal strip containing a light and camera at its nose. The platform is developed by Unitree Robotics, a Chinese company.
The Unitree Go2 is a 15 kg robotic platform equipped with a 4D LIDAR for obstacle avoidance, a 1,280×720 front camera with a 120° field-of-view, and an 8,000 mAh battery. Controlled wirelessly via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, it can carry various payloads weighing 10 kg in total such as power modules, depth cameras, 3D navigation radar, and a small mechanical arm. Priced at approximately USD2,800, the system also features Chat GPT technology and can reach speeds of up to 18 km/h.
For more information on robotic quadrupeds and countries' efforts, please seeUK StratCom buys V60 ‘robotic dogs'andPLA demonstrates robotic dogs for reconnaissance, combat .
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