The robot dog belongs to Russian tech entrepreneur Alexander Atamanov.
A video of a machine gun strapped to a robotic dog firing bullets has terrified the internet. The footage is circulating on many social platforms and shows the robotic dog zipping around and firing a fully automatic machine gun attached to its back. According to a description of the post on Reddit, the video was originally posted on YouTube in March by Alexander Atamanov, a tech entrepreneur from Russia. In the video, the dog is also seen patrolling a house amidst a snowy backdrop.
It then shows the robotic dog firing on standup targets. Mr Atamanov has described the place as a "training ground" in a Facebook post. An armoured vehicle is seen next to the range.
Watch the video below:
The agile robot is seen firing several rounds at targets. The video also briefly shows the close-up of the gun's eyepiece to explain how targeting is being done.
However, the robotic dog doesn't seem to be able to handle the recoil of the gun well. It is seen taking some time to get its balance back.
According to Vice News, the gun mounted on the dog is Russian - the PP-19 Vityaz, a submachine gun based on the AK-74 design.
The footage has led to a discussion on social media on whether such machines are needed. "American paw patrol was too boring for russian kids so they had to do this," a Reddit user commented.
"Will not be surprised in the least when these things are given more rights than citizens. Being killed accidentally by one "on duty" will not net the owners any punishment b/c "it's automated", but destroying/disabling one will be THE BIGGEST federal crime they can throw at you," said a Twitter user.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Mr Atamov is the founder of HOVERSURF, which he founded in 2014. Born in Russia, he began his career in the aerospace industry. Though Mr Atamov's company is based in San Jose, California, it is not known where the robotic dog's video was filmed.
In the US, a similar robot dog prototype was unveiled by Ghost Robotics in 2021. Called Special Purpose Unmanned Rifle or SPUR, the killer bot sported a 6.5mm Creedmoor rifle and was equipped with sensors that allowed it to function during the day and night.