US: Marines test Google's battlefield robot

Spot robot — United States Marines and representatives from Boston Dynamics look at Spot, a four-legged robot designed for indoor and outdoor operation. Getty Images

US Marines are putting to test Google X's new electrically operated robot Spot that walks on four legs. Weighing some 70kg, Spot's movements are controlled via a wireless operator.

The battlefield robot, a product of military robot developer, Boston Dynamics that is owned by Google X, was tested by US Marine in Virginia across hills and urban areas.

According to reports, Spot is a much quieter robot as compared to earlier military robots by Boston Dynamics, like LS3 and Big Dog, and has a 500 meter range.

Boston Dynamics has revealed its latest quadrupedal robot - named Spot - which can traverse uneven terrain and remain upright even when kicked YouTube/Boston Dynamics

Fitted with a laser imaging sensor LIDAR (Light Detection And Ranging), Spot is able to get a clear view of its surrounding.

In one exercise, Spot was sent into a building to check corners for enemies ahead of the Marines, reported PC World.

"We want to continue to experiment with quadruped technology and find ways that this can be employed to enhance the Marine Corps warfighting capabilties," said Captain James Pineiro, branch head for Marine Corps Warfighting Lab., in a press statement, reported Value Walk.

Boston Dynamics, purchased by Google in 2013, first showcased quadrupedal robot Spot on 9 February.

The robot was built with the intention of assisting soldiers on the battlefield to carry equipment, as well as for search and rescue and accessing disaster zones.