---
title: "Oh No: This Company Is Building Robodogs Specifically for Combat"
description: "A company called Ghost Robotics is building dog-like robots explicitly for military use. Soon, they'll guard an Air Force base in Florida."
date: "2020-12-08"
modified: "2020-12-08"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/company-building-robodogs-specifically-combat"
categories:
  - "Robot Dogs"
  - "Robotics"
  - "Robots and Machines"
tags:
  - "ghost robotics"
  - "military technology"
  - "RoboDogs"
  - "the digest"
---

# Oh No: This Company Is Building Robodogs Specifically for Combat

![A company called Ghost Robotics is building dog-like robots explicitly for military use. Soon, they'll guard an Air Force base in Florida.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/company-building-robodogs-specifically-combat.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Ghost Robotics\</em\>*

## Combat Dogs

Soon, a squadron of dog-like robots will patrol and monitor an Air Force base in Florida, thanks to a robotics company that's making robodogs explicitly for military applications.

Ghost Robotics recently unveiled [its Vision 60 robots](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/us-military-deploys-robot-dogs-guard-air-force-base>) — four-legged machines that can be remote-controlled to surveil an area, clear bombs, or otherwise assist soldiers, [according to *Digital Trends*](<https://www.digitaltrends.com/features/ghost-robotics-military-bots/>). You can think of them sort of like the evil twin of Spot, the robodog developed by Boston Dynamics — but don't call it that around Ghost.

"We try not to refer to them as robot dogs," Ghost Robotics CEO and President Jiren Parikh told *Digital Trends*. " We refer to them as Q-UGVs: Quadrupedal Unmanned Ground Vehicles."

## Tech Demo

The Vision 60s are meant to be able to cross difficult terrain and survive a blow, flailing their legs around to right themselves if they're kicked over. Down the road, Ghost hopes to ramp their autonomy and build a platform for other military robots, but for now they're still finding new uses for the robodogs.

"Imagine every time \[the Air Force goes\] somewhere to refuel, to pick up supplies, or to protect our fighter jets on the tarmac, our robots climb out and do perimeter security," Parikh told *Digital Trends*.

https://twitter.com/Ghost_Robotics/status/1285388598976618502

## Friend or Foe?

Thankfully, Parikh clarified that these military robots won't carry any weapons of their own. Instead, the company wants them to handle jobs that would typically put a human in danger.

"We've not heard once where \[governments\] want to use this for weapons," he told *Digital Trends*.

**READ MORE:** [Meet Ghost Robotics, the Boston Dynamics of combat bots](<https://www.digitaltrends.com/features/ghost-robotics-military-bots/>) \[*Digital Trends*\]

**More on robodogs:** *[US Military Deploys Robot Dogs to Guard Air Force Base](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/us-military-deploys-robot-dogs-guard-air-force-base>)*

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)