News / Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence holds a ‘robot dog Olympics’ in Bristol
Four teams doted over their assigned canine companions. Proudly instructing them to run, sit and fetch, they might have be mistaken for adoring dog owners strolling through the nearby Oldbury Court Estate.
But these dogs were a little different. They were were bright yellow, robotic and, potentially, the future of British national security.
While ‘robot dog Olympics’ might sound like sci-fi, the event at MoD Abbey Wood aimed to investigate some of the very real applications of robotic dogs within the British military.
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The event was organised by the Future Capabilities Group (FCG), which procures technology for the British military. They also worked in collaboration with Team Defence Information, a body that helps develop technology to be used on the front line.
The associations tasked more than 40 coders, who ranged from industry experts to hobbyists, to program the dogs and complete challenges with them.
It’s hoped that the robotic dogs can be used in environments too dangerous for humans, as their relatively small size makes them more manoeuvrable than other autonomous systems. The dogs could be used in first aid situations and could also scan, search and map terrain.
Working in teams, the coders operated four SPOT robotic dogs manufactured by Boston Dynamics to complete 50-metre sprints, gymnastic routines and problem solving challenges. The dogs even drew the Olympic rings to test their dexterity.
Colonel Dan Anders-Brown, customer lead at the MoD’s Defence Equipment & Support, said: “At the moment they are the US leaders in terms of robotics and autonomous systems. We’ve bought some of these systems to trial them out and see what we can do with them.”
Colonel Dan Anders-Brown pictured with a robotic dog – photo: MoD Defence Equipment and Support
After the event concluded, Anders-Brown told Bristol24/7 that “the coders have confirmed what we already knew. These are highly capable systems and could significantly reduce risk to life of our soldiers.”
Having learned more about the limits and possibilities of robotic dogs at the event, organisers were hopeful about their use in the future.
Suzy Harris, head of expeditionary robotics for FCG, added: “Robotics and autonomous systems are becoming increasingly important in allowing soldiers to operate faster, for longer and enabling them to step back from some of the most challenging and dangerous tasks.”
Main photo: Defence Equipment & Support
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