In June this year, the Chinese Academy of Sciences released a "detection robot dog", a "light detection robot dog" and a "firepower robot dog". In the future, the robot dogs can be used to perform camp inspections, public area security maintenance and facility protection. The picture shows the "firepower robot dog". (File photo, taken by reporter Luo Peide)
[Reporter Tu Jumin/Reporting from Taipei] Unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) are highly used on the Ukrainian-Russian battlefield. In the first eight months of this year, Ukraine used UGVs to perform 110,000 casualty evacuation and supply missions, and also used a variety of unmanned vehicles to perform reconnaissance and mine-laying missions. , strike and other tasks; the Chinese Academy of Sciences in June this year demonstrated three military-standard robot dogs, which can be used for thermal image recognition, photoelectric reconnaissance, and the use of remote-controlled gun towers to attack enemy targets. However, the military and services have not yet officially placed orders for procurement, and they will have to wait to form combat capabilities.
According to information released by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense on September 7, the Ukrainian army used unmanned ground vehicles to perform 7,511 logistics and evacuation missions in January this year. This increased to 25,143 missions in August, a growth of 3.3 times. The Ukrainian defense procurement department also announced in July that it has signed contracts to purchase more than 22,000 domestic UGVs this year, which is close to twice the number of last year. Among them, the logistics type has the largest number, followed by engineering and combat types, showing that unmanned vehicles and vehicles have gradually become important equipment on the front line.
According to comprehensive public information, the types of UGV used by the Ukrainian army are quite diverse, including the tracked THeMIS, TerMIT unmanned vehicle that can transport casualties and ammunition, and the Ratel S model with blasting and minelaying capabilities. There are also four-legged robot dogs that go deep into dangerous areas such as towns and woods, and use photoelectric and thermal imaging equipment to perform reconnaissance, warning and small material delivery, reducing the direct exposure of officers and soldiers to enemy firepower.
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Ukrainian officers and soldiers used a large number of unmanned ground vehicles to carry out 110,000 casualty evacuation and supply missions from January to August this year alone. (European News Agency file photo)
Compared with Ukraine, which has put a large number of UGVs into actual combat, the research and development of my country's military robot dogs is still in its infancy. In June this year, the Chinese Academy of Sciences used the Vision 60 quadruped robot from the US company Ghost Robotics as a platform to display three types of robot dogs: "photoelectric search type", "firepower type" and "lidar combined with thermal image recognition type". They have the capabilities of target detection, remote control gun tower and autonomous inspection respectively, and can operate collaboratively through the Internet. However, the focus is still on system integration and performance verification, and there is no information on large-scale procurement and installation.
The Ministry of National Defense also revealed in April this year that it plans to introduce quadruped robots, unmanned transportation and tactical vehicles to be used in deep and urban operations to perform reconnaissance, strike and material supply missions.
Subsequently, the wheeled unmanned ground vehicles recently solicited by the Army are mainly in 4×4, 6×6, 8×8 and other configurations, with an effective payload target of at least 250 kilograms, a moving radius of at least 30 kilometers, or can travel 50 kilometers when fully loaded and fully charged. They hope to have autonomous navigation, obstacle avoidance, anti-satellite navigation interference and protection capabilities, and carry stretchers, medical equipment and blood product cold chain equipment. After the consultation period is over, the procurement will be evaluated based on demand.
