Outwardly looking like something from the realm of science-fiction movies, the United States Air Force’s (USAF) robot ‘dogs’, a novel integral part of the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS), were recently given a chance to stretch their legs and display their skills in a large-scale test exercise environment, reports The Drive.
In addition to testing data-gathering and distribution systems, the demonstration event saw the Air Force using quadrupedal, all-terrain “dog” robots for guarding the perimeter at Nellis Air Force Base.
Created by Ghost Robotics and intended to be part of the ABMS test held earlier this year, if it hadn’t been for bandwidth issues, the model tested at the September event at Nellis AFB is known as Vision 60.
Known also as Q-UGV, or Quadrupedal Unmanned Ground Vehicle, the Vision 60 is designed to carry out tasks such as remote inspection, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR) missions, mapping, distributed communications, and persistent security.
While scant information is available regarding the technologies used for the “dog” robots at the September tests, footage obtained suggests models with a pair of antennae on their back and communication gear, or sensors in the place of the "head".
The robots are believed to be data-connected, able to communicate with other systems, and nearly “unstoppable, according to information on Ghost Robotics website.
The creators of the four-legged robots revealed that they opted for reduced mechanical complexity when developing the design, as compared to any other legged robots. The models were also rendered less costly to deploy and maintain.
Vision 60, according to experts in the field, could potentially take over a key role in patrolling perimeters and scouting areas that might be dangerous or life threatening to humans on the battlefield. In this instance, they might be perceived as an extension of bomb-squad robots.
The tests come as the US Air Force has been reportedly ramping up efforts to test and field new technology for its Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) in a bid to seamlessly connect all of the Department of Defense’s equipment and data.