On the internet, a video showing a robot dog shooting rounds from a submachine gun strapped on its back has gone viral, prompting questions about whether such technology uses are really unfolding.

The Robot Dog Was Created by a Russian Hobbyist

According to some social media scanning done by The Verge, the video owner is Russian hoverbike company founder Alexander Atamanov, who is a fan of military equipment.

Atamanov appears to have combined his two passions into a single project and allegedly created one incredibly dangerous toy as a result. According to Interesting Engineering, the Russian created the robot to be used as a guard and patrol dog.

A report by Vice mentioned that on March 22, Atamov posted a video of the dog to his YouTube channel before it made its way on Twitter. Meanwhile, on March 21, he published a picture of the robotic dog on Facebook, which is called "Skynet," based on translation.

On either of the robot's flanks, there are Velcro strips; a Russian flag is displayed on the left, while a wolf's head is seen on the other. The robot's top-mounted gun is also Russian. It looks to be an AK-74-inspired submachine gun called a PP-19 Vityaz.

However, Interesting Engineering noted that even though the dog appears to be firing near a Russian armored car and is wearing a Russian flag and Special Operations Forces insignia, it is most definitely not going to be used by Russian troops any time soon.

In addition, it is worth noting that the robot dog doesn't appear to be able to control the gun's recoil adequately. The dog must take some time to regain its balance after it fires bullets, causing the barrel to trail up. Also unknown is whether the dog is firing on its own or, more likely, whether someone is pulling a remote trigger off camera.

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Meet Spot, a Quadruped Robot Made by a U.S. Firm

Atamanov's robot dog has often been compared to Spot, saying that both robots resemble each other.

In a separate The Verge report, it was mentioned that the quadruped robot Spot, created by the U.S. company Boston Dynamics, has been spotted working alongside soldiers in French army military drills. During a two-day training exercise, the robot was reportedly utilized for reconnaissance. However, the deployment raises concerns about how and when Boston Dynamics' machines will be deployed in the future.

More information is provided in an article by the French newspaper Ouest-France, which claims that Spot was one of several robots being tested by students at the école Militaire Interarmes (Combined Arms School) in France to determine the viability of robotics on future battlefields.

Spot's terms and conditions prohibit using it "to harm or intimidate any person or animal, as a weapon, or to enable any weapon." However, one may argue that a robot assisting soldiers in building reconnaissance is not technically frightening or harming anyone.

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