The Future of Urban Warfare is Machine Gun-Wielding Robot Dogs

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A Chinese team of researchers released a study that claims robot dogs equipped with machine guns can rival human accuracy and marksmanship, which could completely revolutionize urban warfare. The South China Morning Post claims the study “demonstrates the feasibility of a legged strike platform.”

Xu Cheng, a professor of mechanical engineering at the Nanjing University of Science and Technology and leader of the study, explains: “Urban warfare, encompassing anti-terrorism operations, hostage rescue missions, and the clearance of streets and buildings alike, has steadily risen to prominence as a fundamental facet of contemporary conflict.”

According to Interesting Engineering, the team tested their claim by installing a 7.62mm machine gun on the back of an unnamed domestically produced quadruped robot dog. The weapon could fire up to 750 rounds per minute and was equipped with an optoelectronic sight, a shock-absorbing mount, and an automatic reloading system. The robotic dog was then ordered to fire 10-round bursts at a human-sized target standing 100 meters away, with incredibly accurate results.

The research team achieved this by taking a vastly different approach than previous US attempts – they developed a special weapon mount specifically designed for the task, as opposed to American attempts that strapped a weapon to the back of a robot dog. This revolutionary weapon mount developed by the team is specifically designed to enable the gun to point freely while absorbing recoil to minimize muzzle jumping during sustained firing.

If true, these findings could prove revolutionary for urban warfare, which is renowned for high casualty rates. “The urban landscape, with its maze of intersecting streets and towering edifices packed tightly together, poses unique challenges for unmanned combat platforms. These platforms must negotiate unstructured terrain and execute intricate actions such as maneuvering, scaling, and leaping – rendering traditional wheeled and tracked designs inadequate,” explained the research team, and concluded: “Quadruped platforms, based on bionic principles, can use independent ground support points to provide enhanced mobility and adaptability in complex urban combat environments.”