For someone dogs are loyal and loving Pets, and for someone to helpers who do the heavy work. In Russia and most other countries, dogs are used in police for catching criminals and finding drugs. In cold and snowy regions of great popularity and universal love are the so-called sled dogs pulling heavy sleds with people and cargo. Perhaps in the near future they will finally be able to relax because their work is already pretty good robots.
The development of robotic dogs currently involved in multiple companies. The most famous of them is the American Boston Dynamics, which in 2019 plans to release in the sale of hundreds of robot dogs SpotMini. During the June exhibition Amazon Re: MARS, it became known that buyers will be able to use them as helpers for transportation of heavy construction materials. Also they have and alternative application — they will become members of the fighting robots.
What can a robotic dog?
Another major manufacturer of dog-robots is a Chinese company Unitree Robotics. In 2017, she presented a model called Laikago, which was named in honor of the first dog on the moon. At 24-pound weight, her height was 0.6 meters. According to the developers, one battery charge lasts for four hours of continuous operation. Force robotic dog enough to lift 7-pound weights.
The robot dog Laikago
At the moment the robot has an improved version called Laikago Pro. Recently she demonstrated her amazing ability to work together to lift and carry various weight. The video below shows several robotic dogs can easily raise the man and pull quite a decent sized car. Also at the end shows how the robot runs the maze.
This video is direct proof that robots can now replace sled dogs. They can easily pull a heavy sled and now the engineers just need to figure out how to improve their stability in the snow. If desired, people can already buy this application through the official website Unitree Robotics. The exact price on the website is not specified, but foreign sources say about the price of around $ 45,000.
Which robot is better?
In addition to the above robot, a Chinese company is also developing a model AlienGo. The robot is equipped with a large number of sensors, it is therefore expected that it will be to navigate in space much better than its predecessors. The actuators located on the legs provide maximum mobility. It is possible that the sled dogs of the future will be the robot, because the abundance of sensors clearly improves its interaction with its “relatives”. Most importantly, that they had enough physical strength.
Everyone should know: Who is smarter — cats or dogs?
Let’s fantasize, what purposes would you use robotic dogs? Write their own versions in the comments or in our Telegram chat.