Russia has introduced a military robot dog that carries an anti-tank rocket launcher and an optical aiming device.
The system was unveiled during the “Army-2022” International Military-Technical Forum that began on August 15.
A video shown by state-owned RIA Novosti shows the four-legged robot wrapped in a black cloth showing off its moves on a conference room floor.
The robot demonstrates its ability to bend, turn, move forward and backward, and lie down, but there was no weapons demonstration.
Video of the M-81 robot-dog armed with an RPG-26 at the Army 2022 defense expo. https://t.co/rUnwoCMoyS pic.twitter.com/BEDjnwstN0
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) August 15, 2022
According to RIA Novosti, the platform arose out of the M-81 robotic system developed by the Russian engineering firm JSC Intellect Machine.
It can reportedly carry out a variety of military missions, including target designation, infiltration of enemy facilities, reconnaissance, and transportation of weapons and ammunition.
Bionics Development
RIA Novosti explained that the M-81 was developed using bionics, replicating principles, structures, and characteristics of biological systems.
In this case, the developers replicated the biomechanics of a dog to develop a military platform.
However, some reports claim that the robot’s overall frame, shape, and location of its optical sensors bear a striking resemblance to the Chinese-made Go1 robot.
The Go1 robotic system is currently being sold for $2,700 on the Unitree Robotics website and $420 on AliExpress.
If true, it would mean that the system was not designed by a Russian manufacturer and is not “a military grade of any kind.”
JSC Intellect Machine has yet to issue a statement regarding the alleged similarities of the M-81 and Go1 robots.
