Israel buys robot dogs for fighting in Gaza
The agile robot dogs from Ghost Robotics can not only climb, run through deep puddles and swim. They can also be armed. The Israeli army now also owns three of the US manufacturer's robots.
In the fight against the radical Islamic Palestinian group Hamas, the Israeli army is receiving support from robot dogs. According to a report by the Israeli business portal "Globus", the IDF has purchased three remote-controlled four-legged friends from the US manufacturer Ghost Robotics for 130,000 US dollars each. According to the report, they are intended to "collect life-saving information and help soldiers to act optimally".
According to the company, the agile dog-like walking robots from Ghost Robotics can explore both above and below ground, climb, run through deep puddles and swim. Should they lose their balance and fall over, they are programmed to get back on their feet and continue their mission.
Unlike other remote-controlled robot dogs, those from Ghost Robotics are semi-autonomous and can come to a standstill without human assistance. However, continuous communication with the operator is still necessary. They are to be equipped with various visual sensors that allow them to identify people or objects even at night or in poor lighting conditions. Experts assume that the Israeli army, among others, could use these capabilities to detect explosive charges. While the battery life of the robot dogs is three hours in theory, in practice they sometimes only manage 90 minutes, according to Globus.
The electronic dogs from Ghost Robotics were presented to the general public two years ago at a conference in Washington. At that time, they were already equipped with a submachine gun and a thermal imaging camera that allowed them to shoot at targets up to 1200 meters away. The possibility of arming the robot dogs sparked a public debate. However, according to "Globus", the armed forces that deploy them have not yet made use of this option.
However, the possibility alone triggered a dispute among robot manufacturers. Boston Dynamics, the best-known company in the industry, launched a petition in response. In it, the company called on all robot manufacturers not to arm their products. "The incorporation of weapons into remote-controlled or autonomous robots poses a new kind of danger to the public and raises moral questions," the company said. Five other companies signed the petition. Ghost Robotics was not one of them.
Ghost Robotics employs 75 people and has raised several million dollars to date. Last week, it was acquired by Korean weapons manufacturer LIX Nex 1 for 240 million US dollars.
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In response to the ongoing conflicts with Hamas, Israel has procured three remote-controlled robot dogs from Ghost Robotics for use in gathering vital intelligence and aiding soldiers in Gaza. Despite being armed, it's unclear if the Israeli army has chosen to use this feature as of yet.
Source: www.ntv.de
