Robodogs are being used by the Australian military and can even be controlled by soldiers' minds. Kurt "The CyberGuy" Knutsson explains how it works. The age-old philosophical question, "who let the dogs out?" has finally been solved. Thanks to the help of Ghost Robotics and the Australian military, soldiers can now control robot dogs with their minds. It sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, yet it's happening right now while half the planet focuses on Pedro Pascal's impeccable performance on "Last of Us." CLICK TO GET KURT'S CYBERGUY NEWSLETTER WITH QUICK TIPS, TECH REVIEWS, SECURITY ALERTS AND EASY HOW-TO'S TO MAKE YOU SMARTER This isn't the first time we've seen robot dogs in action.

In 2022 we saw big movements in the robotics industry, from high-profile lawsuits to big acquisitions to exciting new robots and deployments, there was no shortage of news to cover this year. Here are the top 10 most popular stories on The Robot Report in 2022. Subscribe to The Robot Report Newsletter or listen to The Robot Report Podcast to stay updated on the robotics stories you need to know about. Early this year, Amazon unveiled its first-ever autonomous mobile robot (AMR) Proteus. The company first entered the mobile robot space in 2012, when it acquired Kiva Systems for $775 million.

Okay, let's talk about killer robots. It's a concept that long ago leapt from the pages of science fiction to reality, depending on how loose a definition you use for "robot." Military drones abandoned Asimov's First Law of Robotics -- "A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm" -- decades ago. The topic has been simmering again of late due to the increasing prospect of killer robots in domestic law enforcement. One of the era's best known robot makers, Boston Dynamics, raised some public policy red flags when it showcased footage of its Spot robot being deployed as part of Massachusetts State Police training exercises on our stage back in 2019.

If you know anything about Ghost Robotics, it's likely one of two things: 1) They make robot dogs. A majority of the Philadelphia firm's press coverage has revolved around these facts, along with some coverage of its systems being used to patrol the U.S. border. It's shameful how both parties fight tooth nail to defend their ability to pump endless public money into militarization. From tanks in police depts to corrupt military contracts, funding this violence is bipartisan non-controversial, yet healthcare housing isn't. Ghost has thus far not demonstrated any manner of ethical qualms when it comes to its work with military and law enforcement -- but it's the company's product design that could ultimately get it in hot water.

Tuvalu's foreign minister, Simon Kofe, told the COP27 climate summit yesterday that Tuvalu would look to the metaverse to preserve its culture and history. With global temperatures expected to rise as much as 2.8 degrees Celsius by the end of the century, the Pacific island nation is particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels. At last year's COP26 summit, Kofe addressed the conference while standing knee-deep in seawater to highlight the climate change threat. Climate scientists anticipate the entire country will be underwater by the end of the 21st century. Addressing the climate summit, Kofe said: "As our land disappears, we have no choice but to become the world's first digital nation. Our land, our ocean, our culture are the most precious assets of our people. And to keep them safe from harm, no matter what happens in the physical world, we'll move them to the cloud."

Competition in the robot dog market is getting ugly. As The Robot Report explains, Boston Dynamics is suing Ghost Robotics for allegedly infringing seven patents linked to its Spot quadruped. The Spirit 40 and Vision 60 (shown above) purportedly borrow key technologies from Spot, including systems for self-righting and climbing stairs. Boston Dynamics says it asked Ghost Robotics to review Spot-related patents in July 2020, five months after the launch of the Spirit 40. After that, Boston claims to have sent two cease-and-desist letters asking Ghost to stop marketing its robot canines.

By now, everyone's seen the videos of Boston Dynamics robot dog, Spot. It can walk, run, hop on two legs and even dance -- it's mighty impressive. But with every video released by the American robotics firm, it felt like we were edging closer to the ultimate goal of four-legged drones that could be equipped for battle and replace soldiers. However, Boston Dynamics has come together with a coalition of other robotics experts to plead with companies across the sector to please never give the robots guns. The letter, which was first reported by Axios, has been signed by Boston Dynamics, Agility Robotics, ANYbotics, Unitree, Clearpath and Open Robotics.

'Robot dogs' are being tested by the US Space Force so they can carry out patrols of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The $150,000 (£123,000) four-legged bots can be equipped with a wide variety of optical and acoustic sensors, allowing them to serve as the'eyes and ears' around sensitive areas of the base. They are being used for patrols'to save significant man hours', according to a statement from the Department of Defense. Space Launch Delta 45 – the unit responsible for all space launch operations from Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral – used at least two Vision 60 unmanned ground vehicles (Q-UGVs), or'robot dogs', during the two-day test last month. Built by Ghost Robotics, the robots can be operated either autonomously or by a human controller.

A chilling video reminiscent of Black Mirror of a robot dog opening fire with a submachine gun strapped to its back - uploaded by the Russian founder of a hoverbike company - is a preview of future warfare. Alexander Atamanov, the founder of a Russian hoverbike company, uploaded the viral video, which shows a UnitreeYushu dogbot that retails online for about $3,000 shooting at snow-covered hills outside, and it appears he was simply creating something to play around with. At a time when autonomous drones are being used to target terrorists and the US Army has its own sniper rifle-armed robot dog, the video is a terrifying reminder that this type weapon is already a reality. The robot dog, called a'technology dog' by its manufacturer, appears to be carrying a Russian gun known as a PP-19 Vityaz, a type of submachine gun that's based on the AK-47 design The robot dog, called a'technology dog' by its manufacturer, appears to be carrying a Russian gun known as a PP-19 Vityaz, a type of submachine gun that's based on the AK-47 design, according to Vice. The robot also has strips of Velcro on its sides and a Russian flag is seen on its left flank.

An enormous robotic yak, strong enough to carry up to 352 pounds, and able to sprint along at up to 6 miles per hour, has been developed by Chinese scientists. The robot can deal with all sorts of road and weather conditions, according to the Chinese state run People's Daily, which shared a video of the yak on a road. When deployed, it will join soldiers from the Chinese army on logistics and reconnaissance missions across complex environments including snowfields, deserts and mountains. The missions will include working in remote border regions, as well as in high risk combat zones, according to reports by Chinese state media. The robot comes with multiple sensors, giving it a high degree of situational awareness that analysts say can be fed into commanders in a battlefield environment. The robot can deal with all sorts of road and weather conditions, according to the Chinese state run People's Daily, that shared a video of the yak on a road The full details of the Chinese robot yak haven't been revealed, but it can carry up to 352lb of goods.