Robot Dog Not So Cute With Submachine Gun Strapped To Its Back (vice.com) 113
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Motherboard: A video started circulating on Twitter Thursday of a Boston Dynamics-style robot dog firing a submachine gun into targets amid a snowy backdrop. This type of robot dog (it doesn't seem like the robot in the video is a Boston Dynamics Spot, just looks a lot like it) is famous for dancing, but now appears to have fulfilled every warning given by journalists and analysts. It's got a gun and it's ready to kill. A lot of questions remain. First, the robot dog doesn't seem to be able to handle the recoil of the gun well. As it fires its rounds, the barrel trails up and the dog has to take a minute to get its balance back. We also don't know if the dog is firing on its own or if, and this is more likely, someone is off-camera pulling the trigger remotely.
The robot's feet, various ports, and its front are completely different from Boston Dynamics' Spot. There's dozens of knockoffs of the Boston Dynamics dog selling on the international market. The one in the video appears to be a UnitreeYusu "technology dog" selling on AliExpress for about $3,000. The feet, port placement, and joint coverings are all the same. The robot also has strips of Velcro on either of its flanks. The left flank bears a Russian flag and the other appears with a wolf's head. In another video on the channel, a man wears a similar patch on his arm. It appears to be a wolf's head insignia commonly associated with Russian Special Operations Forces or Spetsnaz. That doesn't mean that Spetsnaz is using armed robot dogs, as pretty much anyone can buy a similar patch online in various places.
The gun is also Russian. It appears to be a PP-19 Vityaz, a submachine gun based on the AK-74 design. As the dog wanders around and fires, it sometimes moves in front of an armored personnel carrier with a unique triangular door. That's a BDRM-2, a Russian armored car that's been spotted recently in Ukraine. Finally, there's the account the video originally appeared on. Before making its way to Twitter, the video of the dog was posted to the YouTube account of Alexander Atamov on March 22, 2022. Atamov is listed on his LinkedIn profile as the founder of "HOVERSURF" and his Facebook page lists him as living in Moscow. He posted a picture of the robot dog on March 21. According to Facebook's translation of his post, he called the dog "Skynet."
The robot's feet, various ports, and its front are completely different from Boston Dynamics' Spot. There's dozens of knockoffs of the Boston Dynamics dog selling on the international market. The one in the video appears to be a UnitreeYusu "technology dog" selling on AliExpress for about $3,000. The feet, port placement, and joint coverings are all the same. The robot also has strips of Velcro on either of its flanks. The left flank bears a Russian flag and the other appears with a wolf's head. In another video on the channel, a man wears a similar patch on his arm. It appears to be a wolf's head insignia commonly associated with Russian Special Operations Forces or Spetsnaz. That doesn't mean that Spetsnaz is using armed robot dogs, as pretty much anyone can buy a similar patch online in various places.
The gun is also Russian. It appears to be a PP-19 Vityaz, a submachine gun based on the AK-74 design. As the dog wanders around and fires, it sometimes moves in front of an armored personnel carrier with a unique triangular door. That's a BDRM-2, a Russian armored car that's been spotted recently in Ukraine. Finally, there's the account the video originally appeared on. Before making its way to Twitter, the video of the dog was posted to the YouTube account of Alexander Atamov on March 22, 2022. Atamov is listed on his LinkedIn profile as the founder of "HOVERSURF" and his Facebook page lists him as living in Moscow. He posted a picture of the robot dog on March 21. According to Facebook's translation of his post, he called the dog "Skynet."
Unsurprising (Score:3, Interesting)
This is just an attention-seeker doing it badly. Guaranteed that there are significantly more advanced and effective versions of this in various military organizations worldwide.
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This is just an attention-seeker doing it badly.
Indeed. Every round after the first is wasted. The robot is too light to fire an automatic weapon accurately even if it was programmed to anticipate the recoil (which it obviously isn't).
A semi-auto carbine would make way more sense.
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here's a high-speed video of the mythbuster guys shooting a handgun. the bullet leaves the muzzle before the recoil impulse is felt by the shooter. you can see the slide is just starting to move backwards by the time the bullet is away.
Pistol Shot Recorded at 73,000 Frames Per Second [youtube.com]
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Indeed. Every round after the first is wasted. The robot is too light to fire an automatic weapon accurately
In a purpose-built killbot robodog, the real thing to worry about going forward - the full potential of this technology, full automatic fire makes no sense - it barely makes sense for humans (3 round burst is preferred). Full auto is to compensate for the sluggishness of human responses, who can only empty a 60 round magazine in 45 seconds or so, rather than 10, and the compensate for human ability to acquire a target accurately except an even slower pace.
A killbot will have a sub-second target acquisition
Re: Unsurprising (Score:1)
Re: Unsurprising (Score:2)
It probably could have done a lot better with the gun mounted on its side.
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The article is equally attention-seeking. How many times are they going to mention Boston Dynamics & Spot when this has absolutely zero to do with them?
Sharks (Score:2)
with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads.
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Guaranteed that there are significantly more advanced and effective versions of this
Not a dog, but this armed robot from Corridor looks very promising:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
Re: Unsurprising (Score:1)
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No sure about the "Guaranteed that there are significantly more advanced and effective versions of this ", depending on what you mean by "this". Recoil is a difficult problem, and I don't think this form factor can handle a machine gun. You'd do better with a turtle shape, that hunkered down before firing. Or a much lighter weapon.
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I wonder, is this supposed to be scarier than drones that cary grenades?
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The engineering is not too hard: Align the barrel with the robot's center-of-mass so the recoil acts straight back without putting any torque on the robot. Then use a spring to dampen the recoil.
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That would require the gun to be in front of the robot. Besides being a lot less compact, it'd also make it a bit nose-heavy, though I don't know how much of a problem that would be for the doggo.
Probably the smarter choice overall would either be to put a sniper rifle on it and a video feed through the scope, or maybe switch to something with select fire 3 round bursts.
The other thing is even with a video feed and control of the bot's movement, you're still
Re: Unsurprising (Score:1)
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Tho if you have a noodle-grip on the gun and it kicks way up when it fires, the shot's not going to go where you were aiming because the gun was already recoiling up as the bullet left the barrel. That's why you have to have a proper grip on the gun, so the recoil is effectively straight back, inline with the barrel.
So I think even with single-fire, this bot's going to miss high on his shots due to recoil on a loose gun platform.
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That would require the gun to be in front of the robot.
Or the weapon could be inside the robot, with only the muzzle protruding.
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While that's a good idea, I'm betting that would require a lot of modification of the doggo. Center of mass on that unit is probably a big battery. Good luck relocating that!
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There's an Aussie movie from the 80's using this idea to rob a bank. Malcom (1986) - bank robbery scene:
https://youtu.be/ho4LrJRAl8s?t... [youtu.be]
Re: Unsurprising (Score:5, Interesting)
The real question is why would a robot ever use full auto. Slow human minds need full auto. A robot could identify several targets, and with some recoil controls, the recoil from the last shot could be used to set up the next shot at the next target. To a human observer it would be near full auto speed, but the robot would choose the exact timing of each shot.
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The real question is why would a robot ever use full auto.
What? Humans use full auto for exactly two purposes: slaughtering crowds, and suppressive fire. Robots will definitely be used to slaughter crowds, and robots working in teams will absolutely employ suppressive fire. When killing individual humans, humans use single shots or three round bursts, depending on circumstances.
Slow human minds need full auto.
The slowest human mind can do things the most capable robot's logic cannot. The robot dogs took a lot of time positioning for shots in those videos. I can put more shots on target than they
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This is why Slashdot is going to shit. Share some facts and people with modpoints lose their minds. HTH HAND [wikipedia.org]
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Boston Dynamics is phenomenally creepy (Score:2, Insightful)
Boston Dynamics develops some of the coolest tech on the planet. But there's two problems with them:
- Of course, like most high-tech company in the US developing advanced technology that takes a long time and a lot of money to master, they're building military things. Of course... There's no money in non-morally-bankrupt causes in America. As such, they sit squarely in the middle of the US military-industrial complex, and they kind of disgust me as a result.
Anyhow,
- On top of that, for some reason, all the
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This isn't a Boston Dynamics robot, it's a knockoff.
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I buy the sentiment about military applications, but would you really reject an attractive job offer because their product isn't cute?
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I'm of the opinion that, given the choice, one should work to develop something they appreciate. I'm doing that at my current company: our products are cool and I enjoy helping make them as good as can be.
I'd have a hard time working on a device that gives me the creeps - just like I wouldn't want to be an ER doctor because I really don't enjoy the sight of mangled flesh.
Re:Boston Dynamics is phenomenally creepy (Score:5, Insightful)
There's no money in non-morally-bankrupt causes in America
Of course there are. The problem is that morally bankrupt causes overlap. One man's field inspection unit at an industrial plant (what we use Spot for), is another man's bomb delivery system. One man's 4x4 offroad fun machine, is another man's military personnel carrier. One man's camera hobby drone is another man's UAV kill drone.
It's not that companies need to support the MIC, it's that the MIC goes and seeks support from companies that produce products with plenty of other uses.
I have NEVER seen a cute Boston Dynamics machine.
If you want cute then talk to Sony. BD is building functional. Not everything needs to be packaged up with a fucking smiley face on it.
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mod parent up: insightful.
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Of course... There's no money in non-morally-bankrupt causes in America.
Go to and tell the Ukranian people about how morally bankrupt the US M/I complex is. It's the only thing standing between them and speaking Russian.
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Re:Boston Dynamics is phenomenally creepy (Score:5, Insightful)
Pedantry mode: ACTIVATED
The official language of Ukraine is Ukranian [wikipedia.org]. Although many Ukranians do speak Russian as a second language due to it having been forced upon everyone during the Soviet times, its popularity and cachet has been in decline since the fall of the USSR. The Russian language is now at an all-time low for reasons you can well imagine related to the invasion and occupation.
On the other hand, in areas controlled by Russia, Russian language becomes de-facto or officially only permissible language, as has happened in Donbas and Crimea since the 2014 invasion.
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Although many Ukranians do speak Russian as a second language due to it having been forced upon everyone during the Soviet times, its popularity and cachet has been in decline since the fall of the USSR. The Russian language is now at an all-time low for reasons you can well imagine related to the invasion and occupation.
From your own link: "The Russian language, however, still dominates the print media in most of Ukraine and private radio and TV broadcasting in the eastern, southern, and, to a lesser degree, central regions. The state-controlled broadcast media have become exclusively Ukrainian. There are few obstacles to the usage of Russian in commerce and it is still occasionally used in government affairs . . .
On the other hand, in areas controlled by Russia, Russian language becomes de-facto or officially only permissible language, as has happened in Donbas and Crimea since the 2014 invasion.
Also from your link: "On the other hand, when the question 'What language do you use in everyday life?' was a
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The Wikipedia article statistics you site are largely outdated, coming from polls that predate the most recent invasion.
https://www.newstatesman.com/w... [newstatesman.com]
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Human fear what they cannot predict. It's why people often feel a bit scared of animals when they are not familiar with them, because they aren't able to predict their behaviour and imagine the worst possible outcomes.
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Boston Dynamics develops some of the coolest tech on the planet. But there's two problems with them:
- Of course, like most high-tech company in the US developing advanced technology that takes a long time and a lot of money to master, they're building military things. Of course... There's no money in non-morally-bankrupt causes in America. As such, they sit squarely in the middle of the US military-industrial complex, and they kind of disgust me as a result.
Anyhow,
- On top of that, for some reason, all the walking, rolling or hopping robots they make all end up looking either super-creepy at best and menacing at worst, even without any weaponry attached to them. I have NEVER seen a cute Boston Dynamics machine. I don't know how they manage that feat. But then, since they develop gear for the military and form follows function, it would make sense that none of their device elicits great love.
If it wasn't for those two factors, I would be dying to apply for a job there (not that I would ever be considered, mind you :). But they manage to be the only super-cool company I would pay not to work for.
Your "morally bankrupt causes" - aka, the US defense industry - is one of the the main reason's Kyiv doesn't today have a Russian flag flying over it. And for that matter, why London doesn't have a Nazi flag flying over it.
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It's a difficult problem, and I don't have the answer. There's nothing intrinsically "morally bankrupt" about the military. It doesn't NEED to be used in a unethical fashion. But it often is. People who like power will use the tools available, and they see the military as a tool to be used. OTOH, if you can't defend yourself, someone else will take advantage of that. And if you won't defend your allies, someone else will take advantage of that.
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they sit squarely in the middle of the US military-industrial complex
Most likely, so does your 401K.
Re: Boston Dynamics is phenomenally creepy (Score:1)
Boston Dynamics is owned by Hyundai. (Score:2)
in soviet russia we dog you! (Score:2)
in soviet russia we dog you!
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In Soviet Russia, dog puts down you!
I want one (Score:2)
Weeb (Score:2)
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Warning (Score:2)
The dog has a gun, and refuses to take his medication.
https://acimg.auctivacommerce.... [auctivacommerce.com]
looks cute. (Score:2)
The good guys need to win this race (Score:2)
If there are going to be autonomous weapons, we need to make sure the good guys win the arms race, just like we did with the atomic bomb.
That means Western powers and the United States need to get on this pronto.
Re: The good guys need to win this race (Score:2)
https://www.engadget.com/robot-dog-gun-ghost-robotics-sword-international-175529912.html
From last year, Ghost Robotics already has a military version. It would be interesting to know how accurate it is, and what its maximum range is. I feel like we're one generation of advancements in battery tech away from a very different battlefield. Obligatory proof that Matt Groening routinely predicts the future: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oazwTDeqF54
Re: The good guys need to win this race (Score:2)
Forbes story with more details about the company:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/amyfeldman/2022/02/15/meet-the-startup-behind-the-robot-dogs-set-to-patrol-the-southern-border/?sh=6fb91c621b9a
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> make sure the good guys win the arms race, just like we did with the atomic bomb. That means Western powers and the United States
Those aren't the same people.
There are open-air slave markets now in Libya, the child starvation rate in Yemen is a humanitarian disaster, and Iraq never had WMD's. But two million innocents were murdered for profit, creating ISIS.
The worldwide reputation is in the trash, squandered by the neolibs.
So, what will happen instead is China will make a few hundred of these with lit
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First time I've heard Bush called a neo-lib.
The US has been unethical since the start. It has always abused power to break treaties, etc. Ask any Native American. But this doesn't imply that any other country is any better. Britain was a bit worse than the US. Rome was a lot worse. Don't talk about the Nazi's or the Russians. The Chinese tend to be a better choice. They seem to tend to generally be honest, but they drive the hardest deal that they can, and then insist on it being honored, even if yo
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I have yet to see any evidence of that from any of the wide variety of news headlines I have seen over the last 20 years or how they have conducted business partnerships over the last 40.
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You've got to compare them to the competition. Otherwise I'd agree with you. They're less trustworthy than a used auto dealer, and they're still better than anyone else WRT honesty.
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It's not self-evident to me that any government are "the good guys".
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Who Didn't See that Coming? (Score:2)
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Obvious application (Score:2)
The tweet said the quiet part out loud. It is pretty obvious that the military is funding these things. Where else are companies like Boston Dynamics getting the funding they need for development?
Why send an easily injured meatsack to attack a fortified position, when you can send a small, agile, armored robot? Likely, various SWAT teams are on the customer list as well.
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some Russian Redneck
Vatnik. Please.
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I like the song (Score:2)
Janie's got a gun
Janie's got a gun
Her dog day's just begun
Now everybody is on the run
Where can I get one? (Score:1)
The Cramps (Score:2)
Did anyone else have Bikini Girls With Machine Guns playing in their head while they were reading the article.
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while they were reading the article.
That's always playing in my head.
muzzle climb (Score:2)
Whoever made it, the next step is to code up some control logic to counter muzzle climb when multiple rounds are fired.
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Shades of Wolfenstein (Score:2)
How long until we have a Mecha-Hitler and all the other crazy mechanical shit from those games?
Leverage (Score:2)
not cheap (Score:2)
I don;t understand why the Russians want to send in expensive robots when they can just keep conscripting cheap meat sacks and cannon fodder.
https://www.themoscowtimes.com... [themoscowtimes.com]
Russian anti-tank dogs of WW2 (Score:2)
Not cute? (Score:2)
Black Mirror is awesome. (Score:2)
Life finds a way, but the moment of a machine's maximum relevance is the instant it's introduced. It's all downhill for it from there.
3D Printed (Score:2)
This looks like something someone 3D Printed and installed on the robot in their backyard in the back-woods of Tennessee, someone who doesn't understand the physics of center-of-mass when it comes to resisting recoil.
Re:Better than a chimp with a gun (Score:5, Funny)
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Re: Better than a chimp with a gun (Score:4, Insightful)
I trust it more than a fucking cop.
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Maybe the robodogs will shoot the cops first?
This is where most of the Sci-Fi movies about robots start, in a general sense.
Re: Better than a chimp with a gun (Score:2)
It can't be much worse than Spetsnaz.
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Or may be it will have the opposite effect, they'll wait an extra two hours for the robot to arrive because not every police department will have one.
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When shitty little towns have swat teams with fucking armored vehicles? Nah. Trust. If there's an expensive military level toy, the police will have them available.
Being properly trained in implementing said toys is another matter altogether.
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It's fake anyway. You can see where the CGI glitches: https://twitter.com/RoryJacobE... [twitter.com]
That said, it's only a matter of time before someone makes one for real.
Re:Better than a chimp with a gun (Score:5, Informative)
That's just someone not understanding how video compression works.
A CGI gun-dog would be more accurate, far more balanced and not as "A-nailed-to-B", as is Russian tradition. [theguardian.com]
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I'd say if it was a glitch it's more likely to be down to rolling shutter effect.
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I'd say that we need to revive the This Looks Shopped [knowyourmeme.com] meme for the current generation of intrepid interwebz inspectors.
It's older than the most of them.
I.e. It's lost wisdom of ancient civilizations.
Like memorizing phone numbers and replying with words instead of images.
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It was a dead giveaway when a black cat walked past...then walked past again.
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That said, it's only a matter of time before someone makes one for real.
What do you mean by "before"? [sworddefense.com]
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They won't be able to do the job of a cop until they can program them to execute people for driving while brown
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Perhaps when Boston dynamics starts supplying it to police departments it will have no hesitation to enter schoolrooms to knock off a nut with a rifle before any children are murdered,
Maybe, just maybe it would be better just to not let your nutters have high powered automatic rifles. Nah, not like that's worked for the rest of the developed world (come to think of it, school shootings aren't a problem in the developing world either).
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Americans cannot buy fully-automatic weapons. AR-15s as sold are required by law to be semi-automatic only.
Having said that, I would expect that anyone purchasing an AR-15 would also have to show proof of a hunting permit specific to an area that is known to have wild boar or bears. There was a story awhile back about a US park ranger staring down a charging grizzly bear with a bolt-action rifle and it took him 5 shots to bring it down; he might have been more comfortable with an AR-15 in that unusual ins
Re: Better than a chimp with a gun (Score:1)
Why feed the trolls? (Score:2)
First visible propagation of the AC trollage. There's a reason he didn't want to be associated with it. Perhaps even a sane reason, but who cares?
They did some research on the topic. When discussions start with trollage, more people start acting like trolls. Do you think that's a good thing?
Since your actual topic was probably Uvalde, perhaps you could have changed the Subject along such lines?
But if you were going for the Funny you received, then it should have been something about "Who is going to open th