China’s New Toy-Sized “Armed Attack” Bots

China’s New Toy-Sized “Armed Attack” Bots

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China has unveiled “armed attack” robots at the 2015 World Robot Conference in Beijing. The robots are poised to be the latest technological defence against “global terror,” Chinese state media reports.

The toy-sized robots may not look menacing at first glance, but with impressive capabilities they should not be trifled. Their small stature should not limit the robots’ effectiveness too much, as they are meant to be operated in coordinated groups .

“The toy-sized robots can coordinate with each other on the battlefield,” reports Xinhua news agency.

The new attack-bot is the first in a set of three “anti-terror” machines. It is a “reconnaissance” robot capable of discerning dangerous chemicals, poisonous gases, and explosives. Once detected, the robot reports its finding back to its homebase.

If the reconnaissance model finds a bomb – the second robot model comes into play. It is a small explosive ordnance disposal machine capable of diffusing simple bombs.

If the reconnaissance-bot detect danger of a more serious nature, an attacker robot – equipped with “minor-caliber weapons, recoilless rifles and grenade launchers” – can be called upon.

“With a sighting telescope, a trigger and a safe installed, the attacker can hit its target from a long distance,” Xinhua reports.

The Beijing police are one of the buyers of the new, deadly toys from HIT Robot Group, who are based in the northern city of Harbin.

“Apart from anti-terror operations, they can also be applied in fire fighting, public security, forestry and agriculture,” said Chen Deqiang, the company’s sales manager, Xinhua reports.

At 1.5 million yuan ($234,500) for the set – they’re a bargain.