The US Air Force has deployed the Quadrupedal Unmanned Ground Vehicle (QUGV) at its base in Portland, Oregon.
The “robot dog” is a four-legged droid developed by American firm Ghost Robotics. It has been housed at Portland Air National Guard Base (PANGB) since December last year.
Since its arrival, Sgt. Jamie Cuniff has been working on the innovative tech to ensure that it is ready for security missions.
“We’re kind of spearheading this whole side of security, this autonomous defender as they say, which makes me feel really good and proud to be in the unit,” he said. “From a security standpoint, it’s going to benefit us in the way that it provides some real time video feedback and also acts as a deterrent.”
The addition of the QUVG to the US Air Force will reportedly enhance the service’s mission effectiveness through added detection and alert capabilities.
It could also provide additional protection to soldiers on covert missions, while its cameras provide information not perceptible to the human eye.
QUVG Capabilities
Designed to minimize human exposure to danger, the semi-autonomous robot dog features a state-of-the-art sensor package that helps create a “notable advantage” for base security.
The platform can patrol a military base perimeter in various terrain, scanning the area with multiple cameras and traveling long distances to improve surveillance.
The robot can also transmit information to the Security Forces Squadron through secure channels.
“This is the type of change that we should all strive for,” 142nd Security Forces Commander Lt. Col. Ryan Barton explained. “Maybe not a robot dog, but to find things that humans don’t necessarily have to do, or don’t do well and incorporate technology or some version of innovation to free up the manpower while also enhancing capability.”
The PANGB plans to deploy two more QUGVs to provide better protection to personnel and military assets.