Teams of computer programmers from across the UK gathered at Ministry of Defence (MoD) Abbey Wood in Bristol for a Robot Dog Olympics, aimed at developing innovative technological solutions for the British Army. Around 40 coders took part in the event, which challenged them to programme the robotic dogs to perform tasks including a 50-metre sprint and gymnastics.
Chris Burton, an architect from technology company IBM, described the event as "really interesting in terms of collaboration." He added: "It's been great to actually get in a room and start playing around with it [the technology]." Natasha Dell, an algorithm engineer from Thales, expressed surprise at the robots' agility and responsiveness, noting their impressive speed and mobility.
The robotic dogs are designed for non-offensive tasks to protect troops and do not carry firearms. Instead, they aid soldiers by searching and scanning, or delivering medicine and food into disaster areas. The event was organised by the Future Capabilities Group (FCG) at Defence Equipment and Support, the procurement arm of the MoD, in conjunction with Team Defence Information.
Suzy Harris, head of expeditionary robotics for the FCG, said: "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." Colonel Dan Anders-Brown added: "The coders have confirmed what we already knew. These are highly capable systems and could significantly reduce risk to life of our soldiers by removing the requirement to carry out dangerous activity in the modern battlespace."
