Robot Dog Gets Outfitted With Sniper Rifle

It was bound to happen: Two US defense companies have decided to strap a sniper rifle on to a robot dog, marketing it as the future of warfare. 

S.W.O.R.D. International and Ghost Robotics posted photos of the lethal combination to social media after it was shown during a US military-related event in Washington, D.C. 

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Ghost Robotics provided the bot, dubbed the Quadrupedal Unmanned Ground Vehicles or Q-UGV. The four-legged machine is designed to be “unstoppable,” according to the company’s website, which notes the Q-UGV can get right back up after slipping or falling to the ground.  

S.W.O.R.D. International then outfitted the bot with a specialized sniper rifle, called SPUR, that’s been specifically designed for "unmanned platforms." The rifle itself can fire out to 1,200 meters (0.74 miles) and is equipped with sensors for both day and night conditions. 

“Keeping our #SOF (Special Operation Forces) teams armed with the latest lethality innovation,” S.W.O.R.D. International wrote in an Instagram post.

Still, the image has sparked concerns the companies are paving the way for a dystopian robot nightmare. “You want Skynet? Because this is how you get Skynet,” replied one internet user, referring to the AI overlord in the Terminator films that starts off as a military defense system only to turn on its creators. 

Others fear corporations and governments will be able to use the weaponized bots as enforcers. "We created a soulless piece of hardware for brutal population suppression when the billionaires finally fear for their ill-gotten gains," one internet user on Twitter wrote.

But it seems for now the robot has to function with the help of a human operator. According to S.W.O.R.D., the robot’s main advantage is how a human soldier can remotely control and fire the sniper rifle from a distance, keeping the soldier out of harm’s way. 

It’s unclear if or when the sniper rifle-carrying robot dog will ever take the field. The two companies didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But Ghost Robotics’s website says it’s been partnering with companies across the US defense industry. So it may only be a matter of time before the weaponized robot dog enters service.

Recommended by Our Editors

Robot Police Dogs Are Starting to Become a Reality

Elon Musk, Other AI Experts Call for Killer Robot Ban

Got $74,500? You Can Buy Boston Dynamics' Robot Dog

Update 10/20/21: S.W.O.R.D. sent PCMag the following statement to explain why it created SPUR, the sniper rifle that can be mounted on a robot dog.

"The SPUR has mechanisms to remotely arm, safe, and clear within the intended engagement area to avoid accidental discharges and enhance operator safety for both deployment and recovery. Contrary to some of the speculation, the SPUR is not going to autonomously engage or make decisions to apply deadly force, as the warfighter controlling the system will decide where it is aimed and when it will fire in accordance with the rules of engagement and policies set forth by the U.S. Government."

 "SWORD is a company comprised of Special Operations veterans who have significant real-world experience over multiple campaigns during the Global War on Terror. We focus on warfighter safety and lethality, designing systems that increase the survivability of our service-members. Most of us have personally known people who have lost their lives entering a doorway, stairway, cave entrance, or other high-risk area while conducting combat operations on behalf of our great nation. If we can use this system on any unmanned platform to interrogate these dangerous areas in conjunction with troops on the ground, warfighters will have a better chance of returning home to their families; we believe whole-heartedly that systems and sensors are far more expendable than flesh and blood."