Four-Legged Bionics Robot With 160kg Payload Capacity

China has developed a four-legged bionic robot that can be used to carry supplies or conduct surveillance and reconnaissance in challenging environments for soldiers, according to state-owned media. Broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) reported on 14 January that the robot, which has a reported top speed of 10km/h and can carry loads of up to 160kg, has been designed to operate in various of terrain and environments, including high mountains, plateaus, deserts, forests, and remote border regions.

CCTV noted that the battery-powered robot, dubbed the ‘Mechanical Yak,’ can move forward and backward, turn, walk diagonally, sprint, dash and jump in a stable manner. No details were provided, however, on either range or endurance, or whether it has been tested by the PLA.

Chinese state-owned newspaper Global Times quoted unnamed analysts as saying that the robot could be suitable for missions in remote border regions “where constant monitoring is needed but conditions do not favour a constant human presence, for example, in high altitude plateaus, icy regions and dense forests,” adding that it could also be used to replace human scouts or delivery teams in risky combat zones, thus reducing casualties.

The ‘Mechanical Yak’ is not the only four-legged robot developed by China that is also being considered for military use. CCTV reported that a bionic mechanical dog named Geda – about the size of a real dog but weighing 32kg – has been programmed to understand simple voice commands and use facial recognition. It can carry a 40kg payload and has also been successfully tested in numerous environments and terrains, according to both CCTV and Global Times.

Beijing is known to have been investing in development of bionic robots for military use for over a decade. In fact, in 2014, China North Industries Group Corporation (Norinco) unveiled a four-legged robot prototype named the ‘Mountain Quadruped Bionic Mobile Platform’ during an unmanned vehicle exhibition held in Tianjin. According to local media reports at the time, the prototype, which had an endurance of two hours, could carry loads of up to 50kg at a 6km/h maximum speed.

For a brief CCTV video of the Mechanical Yak, click here.

Gabriel Dominguez reporting for MON

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