See robot dogs fight bombs in military trial

Boston Dynamics robot dogs have been retrofitted by the British military to safely dispose of bombs, putting humans out of harm’s way.

Robot dogs are set to “revolutionize” bomb disposal operations and significantly reduce the risk to military personnel, the government said in a statement.

A new live trial has demonstrated advanced robotic systems, including robot dogs, successfully detecting and defusing bomb threats.

Additionally, researchers tested AI-powered drones capable of detecting threats and people, along with robots performing tasks such as opening doors and climbing stairs, showcasing their potential for real-world deployment.

The experiments took place over four days, conducted by scientists from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), a government agency under the Ministry of Defence.

“This is a great example of how Defence can achieve an advantage through the exploitation of technology, fusing together military and commercial systems to keep our people and country safe from deadly threats,” said Andy Bell, chief science and technology officer at Dstl said.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the trial aligns with the government’s plan to enhance national security through the application of new technologies.

“By working with industry and combining cutting-edge robotics with existing expertise, we’re ensuring our bomb disposal teams have the best possible tools to carry out their vital work safely and effectively,” said Maria Eagle, minister for defence procurement and industry.

“These advancements help the government deliver our Plan for Change and ensure defence is an engine for growth – protecting our national security while supporting rapidly evolving technologies,” Eagle said.

The military expects the robots to keep human bomb disposal operators out of harm’s way, while also increasing the pace of operations.

Age of killer robots

It is not the first time a Boston Dynamics-made robot dog, Spot, was used by the British government to handle dangerous tasks. Last year, in a world first, the canine robot was deployed to carry out maintenance work at the UK’s experimental nuclear fusion facility in Oxfordshire.

The use of robots by the military and law enforcement for any other reason – even if stated as defensive – has been more controversial. In 2022, following public outcry, San Francisco city authorities abandoned plans to allow police to use lethal force by robots in emergency situations. In 2021, New York City’s police ended a contract with Boston Dynamics after the public deemed the patrolling robot dogs “creepy.”

However, the use of autonomous weapons systems, sometimes described as “killer robots,” for both defensive and offensive purposes appears increasingly inevitable. There are reports of drones fighting drones in Ukraine, and Google has just quietly backtracked on its pledge not to allow the use of its AI technology for surveillance and weapons manufacturing.

China offers some of the flashiest examples of law enforcement and military robots. Spherical all-terrain robocops with “confrontational capabilities" are being tested on the streets of some Chinese cities, while the country’s military demonstrated robot dogs equipped with machine guns during military drills in Cambodia last year.

The United States Armed Forces have also been testing autonomous weapons systems for years, with former Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin stating in 2021 that AI would be “fundamental to the fights of the future.”