With world leaders ranging from Russia’s Vladimir Putin to Pakistan’s Shehbaz Sharif and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un present, China on Wednesday displayed yet again one of its most innovative war weapons — four-legged robots that many say look like dogs, but touted as “robot wolves” that can potentially replace human soldiers on the battlefield.
These gun-toting robots are an upgrade from earlier iterations, and are designed to “stealthily approach enemies, fire precise shots on targets and work in rough terrain”, Chinese state media said in August.
China has poured support into robotics, an area in which some experts say it might already have the upper hand over the US, news agency AFP has reported.
The parade, which marks the 80th anniversary of China’s victory over Japanese forces in World War 2, was an occasion to showcase the defence innovation, among other weapons.
A contingent of four of these robots was part of the parade.
Earlier iterations were shown at an air show many months ago, and during war games with other countries like Cambodia more recently. They caught the eye particularly at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, a port city in China’s Guangdong province, late last year.
In a video posted by the state-owned CCTV on Wednesday, the newest iteration of the “wolves” was seen marching alongside tanks at the parade.
CCTV showed that the “wolves” can carry rifles on their backs; climb stairs; carry heavy backpacks, and launch attacks.
“They can navigate various terrains and carry out precision strikes from up to 100 meters (328 feet) away,” the state TV.
Further, these robots will also have the sense of a pack, like real wolves, “dividing tasks and coordinating with each other”.
A “pack leader”, for instance, gather target information and transmit the imagery, and others would be in charge of attacks thereof, it added.
“These new robots could signal that the future battlefield will be more automated and deadly,” said Chong Ja Ian, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore told AFP. It is “in part to instill national pride domestically, but also to intimidate potential adversaries externally”, he added.
