In mid-October, the photograph of a quadrupedal robot (“robot dog”) equipped with a rifle for military use – presented at a fair in the United States – had been widely taken up by news sites and heavily commented on on social networks. The armed robot had received great criticism and had made many think with concern of “Metalhead”, the episode of the dystopian television series Black Mirror in which the protagonists must escape a ruthless four-legged robot who wants to kill them. Robot surprisingly similar to that of photography.
The armed robot presented at the conference of the Association of the United States Army, a private organization that promotes the interests of the US military, must be remotely controlled and cannot decide to shoot someone on its own. He needs at least one operator to control him and make decisions for him, and the same goes for the more harmless and peaceful robots developed in recent years, thanks to a booming industry.
Around the world there are many companies at work in the development of robots that can move autonomously, in steep and disconnected territories precluded to the system that over the centuries we have used more to move objects and people: the wheel. Engineers and developers were inspired by nature and all came to more or less the same conclusion: our legs and the paws of different species of animals and insects are the most efficient systems for moving in mixed routes, where there are steps to climb, differences in height, holes and obstacles to avoid and overcome. Consequently, they focused on designing robots with legs, trying to make them agile and at the same time fast, one of the limitations of previously built robots.
Among the bipeds and quadrupeds, the second ones have won for now, simply because it is easier to design a robot that does not lose its balance if it has four legs than one that has a pair. The balances are however destined to change, given the progress made by some companies in developing stable bipedal robots that remain in balance even without cables or other supports.
Informally, quadrupedal robots are often called “robot dogs”, both because the smaller models vaguely resemble dogs and because some manufacturers want to convey the idea of safe and reliable products, which would never harm the their masters.
In particular, the US company Boston Dynamics has worked hard to make its robot dogs and other devices it is developing as friendly as possible. The company has existed for almost 30 years, but has made itself noticed especially in the last 15 after coming under the control of Alphabet, the large holding that controls Google, between 2013 and 2017, and for its passage under the investment company. Japanese SoftBank before ending up under South Korean multinational Hyundai in 2020.
In mid-2020, Boston Dynamics put Spot, its first robot dog up for sale, after leasing it to some companies for some time. Yellow and black, 83 centimeters high with a total weight of around 25 kilograms and a starting price of 75 thousand dollars, Spot is perhaps the best known four-legged robot thanks to the numerous videos that the company has made to promote its functionality and features. opportunity.
The robot is equipped with video cameras and sensors that help it to detect the characteristics of the environment around it and in which it must move. It can be operated remotely via a tablet, a bit like drones, or it can be programmed to follow a path. Boston Dynamics provides development systems to create new features and applications, depending on the needs of the buyers and their purposes.
Spot and the other robot dogs are starting to be used in various contexts and therefore make some customizations necessary. Thanks to their ability to move across uneven terrain and overcome obstacles, these robots can be used, for example, for patrols after a flood or in buildings that collapsed following an earthquake, where it would be risky to have rescuers work. For now, however, experience in this field has been limited, also because it is difficult to maintain wireless connections in the rubble and cable connections cannot always be easily used.
Some companies have started experimenting with robot dogs for security, for example as systems to patrol the perimeters of their production sites. The path to take is preset and the robot can perform it several times, transmitting what it sees with its cameras to a control center. The system could prove useful especially in the case of very large industrial sites, whose boundaries would require many cameras to be filmed or the use of more personnel to periodically carry out checks.
Robot dogs can also replace humans when it is necessary to carry out some risky activities in heavy industry and beyond. In the summer of 2020, for example, the US space company SpaceX employed Spot at its base under construction in Boca Chica, Texas, to inspect some high-risk areas around the launch pad where engine tests are carried out. and for the new giant experimental spaceship Starship.
To make its robot more versatile, Boston Dynamics developed a mechanical arm to mount on Spot's back. It can be used to grab and move objects, but also to open the handles facilitating the movements of the robot dog in closed environments to be explored. A video showing its features released by the company at the beginning of the year was viewed on YouTube more than 10 million times and received the usual mix of compliments and worried comments at the idea of a robot with a gripping arm, reminiscent of very much a snake or the aliens of the movies, who also know how to open doors on their own.
However, the concerns were less than the presentation of Q-UGV, the robot developed by the US company Ghost Robotics photographed in mid-October with a rifle mounted on its back. Weapon aside, aesthetically it is very reminiscent of Spot and other robot dogs presented in recent years.
According to its producers, Q-UGV can be useful in various situations where it would be risky to employ soldiers, such as scouting an area that could be mined or to inspect places and objects, looking for any bombs. The robot can also be equipped with sensors to detect the presence of harmful gases, preventing them from being inhaled by soldiers.
Latest lethality 6.5 #creedmoor sniper payload from @SWORDINT. Check out the latest partner payloads @AUSAorg Wash DC. Keeping US and allied #sof #warfighter equipped with the latest innovations. @USSOCOM #defense #defence #NationalSecurity #drone #robotics pic.twitter.com/Dvk6OvL3Bu
– Ghost Robotics (@Ghost_Robotics) October 11, 2021
The 6.5 mm caliber rifle is instead designed for military defense and offense purposes, according to the company with the ability to hit a target up to a distance of 1,200 meters. It has similar characteristics to the weapons used by special forces snipers and was therefore installed on the robot for similar purposes.
After the numerous controversies and criticisms on social networks, Ghost Robotics has specified that Q-UGV must be piloted at a distance and that it maintains its own minimum autonomy only to overcome the obstacles it could encounter along the destinations to which it was directed. The rifle must be remotely operated and there are some safety procedures to avoid accidental shots, although not all details on its operation are known.
However, the company has not clarified what the autonomy of Q-UGV is, which, like all robot dogs, varies significantly according to the tasks to be performed, the distances to be covered and how rough the terrain is. Battery life is a common problem for all wireless robots, especially for models that are heavier and require more power to power their motors.
Information on autonomy is rarely communicated by companies still engaged in the development of their robot dogs, while they are more easily available for products already on the market. Spot can move for an hour and a half, while from active but stationary it can reach up to three hours of autonomy.
A full charge takes about 2 hours and the batteries weigh between 4 and 5 kilograms depending on the configurations, which is about a fifth of the total weight of the robot. The battery life is also affected by any load that Spot has to carry, whose maximum capacity is 14 kilograms.
Unlike other competitors, Boston Dynamics has no plans to make robots for military purposes. Last February, the managers of the company showed that they did not like the initiative of a collective, which installed a paintball gun on Spot, leaving then the possibility to remotely control it, in order to shoot paint balls inside a tunnel. of art. Boston Dynamics issued a press release to distance itself from the initiative, remembering that it has an ethical regulation for its products, contained in the conditions of use, and the risks of losing the warranty for the recently purchased robot.
In some countries, however, the police have started experimenting with Spot or similar systems for public safety reasons, making them work with agents. These initiatives have received criticism especially in the United States, where the police are often accused of being militarized and of using brisk and violent methods, especially towards minorities. For example, last April the New York Police Department had to stop an experiment with Spot, precisely following the strong criticism received from associations and activists.
Boston Dynamics has long wanted to convey a friendly and reassuring image of its robots. At the end of last year he had released a video in which all his robots – bipedal, quadrupedal and on wheels – danced together performing a very complex choreography. At the end of October this year, Boston Dynamics instead produced a video to promote Spot with the music of the song “Start me up” by the Rolling Stones (now “Spot Me Up”), with the robot dog performing the same movements as Mick Jagger.
Other manufacturers seem to be less interested in offering reassuring images of their robots, at least on social networks.
The Chinese company Unitree released a video in March showing dozens of its A1 robot dog activating with the background Star Wars “Imperial March”.
The Force Awakens. Everyone, help count how many? ???? pic.twitter.com/6NpZOUmQ1s
– Unitree Robotics (@UnitreeRobotics) March 9, 2021
Unitree is headquartered in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, and has been in existence for just 5 years. It was founded by Xingxing Wang, a former employee of DJI, a large Chinese company best known for its drones. The company produces four different models of robot dogs of various sizes and which are very reminiscent of those made by Boston Dynamics, albeit less elaborate and cheaper.
Its cheapest product, GO 1 Air, costs $ 2,700, weighs 12 kilograms, and can carry a load of around 3 kilograms. It is promoted as a companion robot rather than to perform particular tasks, although it can still be programmed to perform other activities. Aliengo, the model with greater features comparable to those of Spot, instead costs over 55 thousand dollars.
Investments in the sector are not lacking, but they are still contained when compared with those for IT companies, especially if dedicated to artificial intelligence (which will have more and more to do with robotics anyway). Despite the coronavirus pandemic, investors spent about $ 6.3 billion on robotics companies last year, about $ 2 billion more than the previous year.
However, surviving in the sector is not easy due to the high costs for the development of new devices and the time required before having pr products. onti for sale. The companies that have gradually owned Boston Dynamics are well aware of this: at the end of March 2020, Boston Dynamics had reported a net loss of 103 million dollars before being acquired 80 percent by Hyundai.
