Dogs have been used as hunting companions for humans since ancient times. It makes perfect sense that robotic quadrupeds would be available almost immediately. Boston Dynamics may not want Spot to be used for evil, but many other bot manufacturers are happy to create robo-dogs for war.
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Ghost Robotics Vision-60 quadruple moves on four legs like Boston Dynamics Spot. The Vision-60, which is equipped with a variety of sensors and cameras has the ability to stay on four legs and slide around on ice.
Ghost Robotics Vision-60 doesn't have to be located near you in order to help you. S.W.O.R.D. Defense Systems is a real company, and not a parody of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They recently introduced a robo-dog accessory called Special Purpose unmanned Rifleor SPUR. This upgrade gives the automaton military capabilities. The SPUR comes with a thermal camera that can zoom in at 30x, so even during the darkest hours, a remote operator can still spot living targets. Cool, cool.
Combining the SPUR and the Vision-60 quaddruped is intended to enable soldiers to reach closer to a target without putting them in danger. However, the SPUR has a range almost 4,000 feet so it can hit targets from approximately three-quarters to a mile away. The SPUR+Vision-60 combination was presented at the Association of the United States Army's annual conference in Washington, DC. However, it is not clear if any militaries have purchased it. The U.S. and Australian armies have tested the quadruped, but it is possible that other organizations are more secretive about their activities. Do you remember when robots performing parkour scared us? Gulp.
