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Marines Test Fire Robot Dog Armed with Rocket Launcher

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Re: Marines Test Fire Robot Dog Armed with Rocket Launcher

#11

Post by thinkmassive »

LinuxBender wrote: post #2

None of the "on a dog" designs make sense to me. Robot tanks have always been able to maneuver over tougher obstacles and much harder to knock over and are significantly faster. Some tanks with the tall tracks can right-side themselves. Stability is important with aimed weapons. A tank can have a turret with multiple projectile devices and could fire any direction. A dog would fall over firing sideways. So why do we…

> It's interesting to note that the Marines refer to the design tested last month as a "robotic goat" rather than the far more common robot dog description.

Maybe four legs provides better all-terrain capabilities at lower parts cost than a treaded vehicle?

Re: Marines Test Fire Robot Dog Armed with Rocket Launcher

#12

Post by CSMastermind »

LinuxBender wrote: post #2

None of the "on a dog" designs make sense to me. Robot tanks have always been able to maneuver over tougher obstacles and much harder to knock over and are significantly faster. Some tanks with the tall tracks can right-side themselves. Stability is important with aimed weapons. A tank can have a turret with multiple projectile devices and could fire any direction. A dog would fall over firing sideways. So why do we…

I'd assume the "dog" designs have better movement in many terrains. Trying to drive through a forest, swamp, jungle, and plenty of other terrains is tricky to impossible while something with legs can easily go through it.

Re: Marines Test Fire Robot Dog Armed with Rocket Launcher

#13

Post by garblegarble »

reallymental wrote: post #5

As a human, this looks terrifying. Imagine being attacked by robot dogs. Now imagine being attacked by robot dogs that have rocket launchers! Straight out of a Fast & Furious movie. You can(!) make this shit up. But as a person in tech, where all my values are directed towards "making a better world"... this also goes against every ideal we have. Unless you count living in a world where we have the ability to extermi…

Yep, absolutely terrifying!

There's always the old chestnut that if your country doesn't develop it, another country (or well-funded faction) with fewer scruples will, and if they think that their tech gives them a significant advantage over you, war is more likely (because they will have a much stronger belief they can win / win at a lower cost).

That's also why we see slick video reveals of stealth bombers and missiles nowadays. The best weapon is one you never have to use in anger.

Re: Marines Test Fire Robot Dog Armed with Rocket Launcher

#16

Post by dylan604 »

reallymental wrote: post #5

As a human, this looks terrifying. Imagine being attacked by robot dogs. Now imagine being attacked by robot dogs that have rocket launchers! Straight out of a Fast & Furious movie. You can(!) make this shit up. But as a person in tech, where all my values are directed towards "making a better world"... this also goes against every ideal we have. Unless you count living in a world where we have the ability to extermi…

To even think that robot dogs would "attack" you in the same sense a real dog would is the funniest thing to me. Of course a robot dog would use missiles, guns, lasers, chemical spray, etc.

Re: Marines Test Fire Robot Dog Armed with Rocket Launcher

#17

Post by JumpCrisscross »

reallymental wrote: post #5

As a human, this looks terrifying. Imagine being attacked by robot dogs. Now imagine being attacked by robot dogs that have rocket launchers! Straight out of a Fast & Furious movie. You can(!) make this shit up. But as a person in tech, where all my values are directed towards "making a better world"... this also goes against every ideal we have. Unless you count living in a world where we have the ability to extermi…

> where we have the ability to exterminate a large amount of people

Counterpoint: it’s an anti-tank rocket. Not a machine gun. (Obviously, they’ll also put a machine gun on it.)

Re: Marines Test Fire Robot Dog Armed with Rocket Launcher

#18

Post by jjtheblunt »

reallymental wrote: post #5

As a human, this looks terrifying. Imagine being attacked by robot dogs. Now imagine being attacked by robot dogs that have rocket launchers! Straight out of a Fast & Furious movie. You can(!) make this shit up. But as a person in tech, where all my values are directed towards "making a better world"... this also goes against every ideal we have. Unless you count living in a world where we have the ability to extermi…

> this also goes against every ideal we have

Counterexample:

https://www.wjcl.com/article/officers-kill-man-who-killed-a-...

And there are countless other actual police dogs hurt or killed by violent offenders.

Sending actual dogs in to snoop out bad guys, who then shoot the police dog, sadly happens. Send in a robot with a rocket launcher, the bad guy is like oh fuck this bad guy nonsense, and the robot dog just has to recharge batteries.

Re: Marines Test Fire Robot Dog Armed with Rocket Launcher

#19

Post by LinuxBender »

2OEH8eoCRo0 wrote: post #4
LinuxBender wrote: post #2

None of the "on a dog" designs make sense to me. Robot tanks have always been able to maneuver over tougher obstacles and much harder to knock over and are significantly faster. Some tanks with the tall tracks can right-side themselves. Stability is important with aimed weapons. A tank can have a turret with multiple projectile devices and could fire any direction. A dog would fall over firing sideways. So why do we…

Smaller, lighter, traverses rough terrain better. How will your mini tank deal with stairs or rubble? Rocket launchers also don't have recoil. Edit: Why would a robo dog necessarily fall over? They could take a wide stance and essentially become a tripod if they need stability.

Why would a robo dog necessarily fall over?

That's just what they do. Several Youtubers have fired guns off the robot dogs and even firing straight ahead can knock them over. Non autonomous tanks have navigated stairs just fine for the FBI and SWAT teams they do it all the time.

Re: Marines Test Fire Robot Dog Armed with Rocket Launcher

#20

Post by darkclouds »

thinkmassive wrote: post #11
LinuxBender wrote: post #2

None of the "on a dog" designs make sense to me. Robot tanks have always been able to maneuver over tougher obstacles and much harder to knock over and are significantly faster. Some tanks with the tall tracks can right-side themselves. Stability is important with aimed weapons. A tank can have a turret with multiple projectile devices and could fire any direction. A dog would fall over firing sideways. So why do we…

> It's interesting to note that the Marines refer to the design tested last month as a "robotic goat" rather than the far more common robot dog description. Maybe four legs provides better all-terrain capabilities at lower parts cost than a treaded vehicle?

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