China Develops World's Largest Quadruped Bionic Robot for Delivery and Reconnaissance

China has developed the world's largest electric quadruped bionic robot, which is expected to join logistics and reconnaissance missions in harsh conditions that are too difficult for human soldiers, including remote border areas and high-risk combat zones.

Walking on four legs and resembling a yak, which is why some call it a mechanical yak, the robot independently developed by China is the largest in the world, the heaviest, and capable of traveling off-road.

Judging by the report video, the device is roughly half the height of an adult when walking, and its length is about twice its height. The robot can carry up to 160 kg and, despite its large size, can reach speeds of up to 10 km/h.

The mechanical yak is equipped with sensors to always stay aware of the surrounding terrain and environment. It has demonstrated a very strong ability to adapt to different types of terrain, including stairs, trenches and rocks, not to mention muddy roads, meadows, deserts and snowfields.

It is noted that thanks to 12 sets of articulated modules, the robot can move forward and backward, turn, walk diagonally, run and jump in a stable manner.

Chinese media reported that the quadruped bionic robot can be used to deliver supplies, including ammunition and food, to places such as plateaus, mountains, deserts and forests, where conventional vehicles struggle to move.

Another potential application is close-range reconnaissance, as it can continuously gather intelligence on the battlefield and track the movements of targets even in harsh conditions that are too difficult for human soldiers.

The robot is a very good choice for missions in remote border areas where constant monitoring is needed but conditions do not favor a permanent human presence, such as high-altitude plateaus, icy regions and dense forests, a Chinese military expert who asked not to be named told Global Times.

According to the expert, the robot will also play a vital role in high-risk combat zones, as it can replace some human scouts and delivery teams and reduce casualties.

In addition, if necessary, the robot can also be equipped with weapons and carry out armed reconnaissance tasks like an aerial drone, but only on the ground.

The mechanical yak is not the only quadruped bionic robot developed by China. Another example is a bionic mechanical dog named Geda. The mechanical dog is the size of a real one and weighs 32 kg, but when fully loaded it can carry 40 kg of goods.

Geda is programmed to understand simple voice commands and use facial recognition. It has successfully passed tests crossing forests, rocky roads, narrow passages and single-plank bridges.

Analysts believe China is expected to develop more types of bionic robots and use their advantages in combat. This is another step by China toward becoming a world leader in robotics, as well as in military technology, by 2025.

In 2021, Chinese tech giant Xiaomi unveiled CyberDog, a bionic quadruped robot with a high-precision environmental sensor system and 11 sensors distributed across its body, which can transmit data to its AI-controlled brain in real time.

Xiaomi founder Lei Jun previously announced the creation of a robotics lab to accelerate the development of global bionic robots.

Other Chinese tech companies have also developed quadruped bionic robots for various applications, likely to compete with American robots such as Big Dog, which created a sensation when first presented in 2005.

The Chinese robotic yak is similar to the Legged Squad Support System robot developed by DARPA in cooperation with Boston Dynamics for the US Army. It is designed to serve as a cargo unit for a squad of soldiers in hot, cold, humid and muddy conditions, carrying 181 kg of equipment.

The robot was shelved in 2015 due to noise problems, difficulties in repairing the device and challenges in including it in patrols. Nevertheless, the use of robotics in combat continues, and the latest example is a robot dog with a 6.5 mm sniper rifle.

The "Special Purpose Unmanned Rifle" (SPUR) was presented at a US Army trade show by Ghost Robotics and weapons maker SWORD International. Built on one of Ghost Robotics' existing "four-legged unmanned ground vehicles," SPUR can remotely receive instructions to load, unload and fire its rifle.

The US Air Force has expressed interest in the ability to remotely control robot dogs from central command posts. Officers want to use the machines for perimeter security, reconnaissance and urban combat, as well as to access places that may be too small, cramped or dangerous for a human soldier to move through safely.

"These dogs will be an additional set of eyes and ears for processing large volumes of data at strategic points across Tyndall Air Force Base," said Air Force Major Jordan Criss in his 2021 statement after tests involving the robots.