“Drone War”: when will real robots go into battle?

The special operation in Ukraine, which has been going on for almost two years in a row, is rightly called the “war of drones.” Drones of all types are fighting - airborne, sea-based, surface and underwater, as well as ground-based. Both sides of the conflict are adapting everything they can for military purposes: both peaceful multicopters and remote-controlled toy cars. The only question is when real robots will be sent into battle, as in the Terminator franchise.

Genesis

Speaking about the possibility of using robots in combat operations, we cannot ignore the American technological Boston Dynamics, a recognized leader in this area. It was founded in 1992, but since 2005 it began collaborating with the mysterious DARPA (the US military technology agency). It was after this that the startup’s nomenclature focused on military and dual-use robotic technologies.



Bigdog is a military “robomule” created by order of the Pentagon. He was supposed to serve as an assistant for the American military, helping to drag up to 150 kg of cargo, reaching speeds of up to 6,4 km/h and overcoming slopes of 35 degrees.


Based on it, a more load-carrying “robomule” was developed LS3, capable of carrying up to 180 kg over a distance of up to 32 km, and reduced in size Spot with a load capacity of 18 kg.


After the tests, the US military abandoned the “walking” robots. For the stated tasks, they turned out to be too complex, noisy in the version with gasoline engines and unreliable in the version with electric ones. However, the developers themselves did not consider this direction unpromising.


Spot and SpotMini are already positioned as robot “dogs” and are popular YouTube characters, dragging Santa Claus' sleigh, trucks and dancing. The footage in which SpotMini, equipped with a manipulator, opens the door for them, launching its brother, looks quite frightening.


This robot is positioned by Boston Dynamics as a home assistant. How can such a drone be used in the realities of the Northern Military District?

Firstly, the presence of an overview camera allows it to be used as a reconnaissance officer, launching it where it is too risky for a person. Secondly, Spot and SpotMini can be used in urban battles while clearing buildings. For example, enter first into a defended room, holding a bulletproof assault shield in front of you, throw a grenade with tear gas, flash-noise or high-explosive fragmentation, fire a burst from a machine-gun turret, which can be mounted on the “back”. After this, the cleanup group will go into battle.

Robot RiSE from Boston Dynamics is designed specifically for movement on vertical surfaces. Six paws with micro-hooks and a tail allow him to crawl up walls, fences or trees with low speed, but confidently.


Miniature robot RHex Equipped with three pairs of legs, it can move on rocks, mud, sand and stairs.


SANDFLEA, or “sand flea,” is capable of jumping over obstacles up to 10 meters high. The charge of a carbon dioxide canister is enough for 25 jumps.


The possible purpose of robotics of this type is obvious: visual reconnaissance and wiretapping, sabotage through the covert delivery of explosive devices, etc.

Atlas is the most hyped and frightening humanoid robot from Boston Dynamics. In recent years, he has progressed very much and is able to perform tricks that only real athletes can do.


What’s stopping you from equipping such a robot with a light machine gun, a grenade launcher, a flamethrower (plasmogun) and putting it into battle, say, when clearing buildings?

Probably, the only thing stopping Atlas from turning into something like the T-800 is its price, which is at least $1,5 million apiece. Ukrainian mobilized ones cost the Pentagon absolutely nothing.

Clone war

If we call a spade a spade, then technological progress already makes it possible to use robots in real combat operations. However, doing this in the SVO zone is simply not practical due to their high cost and complexity of maintenance. But what will happen when robots become much simpler and cheaper?

It is worth paying attention to the products of Unitree Robotics, a Chinese competitor to Boston Dynamics. They developed and presented their humanoid robot H1, which is remarkably reminiscent of the American Atlas.


With a height of 180 cm, the Chinese robot weighs 45 kg and is capable of moving at a speed of 5,4 km per hour. Thanks to the presence of a depth camera and 3D LIDAR with 1-degree visibility, the HXNUMX confidently navigates in space, maintains its balance on rough terrain and even when pushed hard.


The Chinese T-800 is equipped with a 15 Ah battery with a capacity of 0,863 kWh, its joints have five degrees of freedom (DOF), and the arm joints have four. The robot can walk and even run. Equip its manipulators with weapons - and go into battle!

The main competitive advantage of the H1 over the Atlas is its price, which is either 150 thousand dollars or 80 thousand apiece. The figures in open sources are different, but this is at least an order of magnitude cheaper than the American robot. The Chinese intend to buy it en masse and launch the H1 into series in the first quarter of 2024.

No less interesting for military purposes due to its relatively low price is the Chinese “robodog” GO1, a budget analogue of the American Spot and SpotMini. With a length of 62 cm, the drone weighs only 12 kg and can fit in a carrying bag. The robot is equipped with a camera with an angle of 150×170° and an owner recognition system, which allows it to be used as a scout, can move along stairs, pipes and air ducts, reaches a speed of up to 17 km/h and has an autonomy of up to 90 minutes.


In the Edu modification and higher, GO1 is capable of carrying a weight of up to 5 kilograms, for example, an explosive device with striking elements. The AlienGo model can take on weight up to 12 kg. In the video you can watch a detailed overview of this miracle of technology.


The price of the Chinese “robops” is not too steep, ranging from 1 million rubles to more than 4 million, depending on the modification. For a private owner, this is probably a little expensive, but for the country’s military budget it is mere nonsense.