Dogs are a man's bestfriend. But for the US Space Force, robotic dogs will be their space guardians!
According to a statement from the Department of Defense, the newest division of the US military will use "quadruped unmanned ground vehicles (Q-UGVs)" from Ghost Robotics.
These robotic dogs are aimed to save "significant man hours" by carrying out "damage assessments and patrol" at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
On July 27, 2022, a quadrupled unmanned ground vehicle (Q-UGV) from Ghost Robotics posed for a picture at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The Q-UGV successfully illustrated how ground-based robots can automate manual and repetitive operations.
Space Force Guardians
As reported first by Space.com, The robot dogs will be used by Space Launch Delta 45, which is in charge of all space launch operations from Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center.
The demonstration of the robots shows that they were controlled with a hand controller inside a hangar. The Ghost Robotics Vision 60 Q-UGVs can also be outfitted with a wide range of optical and auditory sensors, which allows them to act as automated "eyes and ears" around sensitive installations like a Space Force facility.
These canine-like robots can also act as miniature communications nodes by carrying antennas and fast extending networks outside of existing infrastructure, as noted by Space.com.
During a demonstration for the 45th Security Forces Squadron at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, on July 28, 2022, a Ghost Robotics Vision 60 quadruped unmanned ground vehicle (Q-UGV) is operated. Through the Q-UGV, it was successfully shown how ground-based robots can automate laborious, manual operations.
Read also: US Military Will Use 'High-Altitude Hot Air Balloons' to Prevent Hypersonic Missiles Against China and Russia
Real-Time Strike Targeting
The US Air Force has previously tested the robots as part of the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) data-sharing network in 2020.
The test was conducted at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, and it demonstrated that the dogs were able to provide "real-time strike targeting data to USAF operators," according to then-CEO of Ghost Robotics Jiren Parikh.
The Ghost Robotics Q-UGVs are built to survive extreme weather conditions, and more importantly, they were put on an underwater demonstration with a tail-like payload so that they can swim underwater.
At Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, on July 28, 2022, U.S. Air Force Tech Sgt. Brandon Priddy, the non-commissioned officer in charge of innovation and technology for the 45th Security Forces Squadron, takes a photo with Ghost Robotics Vision 60 quadruped unmanned ground vehicles (Q-UGV). To save a large amount of manpower, the Q-UGV will be employed for patrol and damage assessments.
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Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla
