Shocked! The war of the future is coming: Unitree robot dog vs. drone. #unitree #drone #robotics – YouTube
See more
Dramatic footage shows a tense standoff between a robotic dog and an aerial drone, exchanging fireworks. The clash could be a harbinger of future wars, although scenes like those shown in the video are decades away, an expert said.
The footage shows a drone and a dog colliding in a deserted field. The drone hovers in the air, its four propellers occasionally guiding it away from the dog's line of fire. As the dog launches firework after firework toward the drone, it moves from side to side to adjust the angle of the shot.
Organizers placed fireworks on the back of a dog, which maneuvered to shoot at the drone while dodging pyrotechnics emanating from the drone. It is unclear in the footage whether the dog or drone were autonomous or controlled remotely, although it appears one of the people in the video may have been controlling the drone.
The video was posted on Chinese social media and sparked discussion about the future of wars, according to Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper South China Morning Post (SCMP).
Robot wars are likely in the future, and some experts say they're already happening, Missy Cummings, an engineering professor at George Mason University in Virginia and director of Mason's Center for Autonomy and Robotics, told Live Science in an email.
Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies have made it possible to create robots and drones that can track and shoot at targets without human intervention. Governments around the world, including the U.S. administration, are increasingly integrating AI into weapons and battlefield decision-making.
“Surface-to-air missiles are highly automated systems and can already target drones,” Cummings said. “But we’ll be decades away from anything like video, and even if it were real, all you’d have to do is sprinkle baby powder on all the robots and they wouldn’t be able to ‘see,’” she added.
According to SCMP, the drone in the video is likely a model made by DJI Agricultural, a Chinese company that develops drones for agricultural purposes such as spraying pesticides. The robotic dog was created by Chinese company Unitree Robotics, the publication reports.
According to SCMP, the location of the video is unknown, but several people can be seen in the clip as the drone and the dog fight each other.
At the end of the footage, it is unclear which machine has won. Both end up side by side on the ground, with the robot dog seemingly out of ammo and the drone still firing towards the dog.
Sasha PareSocial Links NavigationEmployee
Sasha is a staff writer for Live Science based in the UK. She holds a BA in biology from the University of Southampton in England and an MA in science communication from Imperial College London. Her work has appeared in The Guardian and on health site Zoe. Outside of writing, she enjoys tennis, baking bread, and thrift store treasure hunting.
You must verify your public display name before commenting.
Please log out and log back in. You will then be prompted to enter a display name.
Log out
Sourse: www.livescience.com
