DOGS OF WAR
RUSSIAN media has attempted to propagate a robotic dog as a war-making machine but it's been found to be a ruse.
Media watchdogs flagged the bot as a disguised, Chinese-made robot companion.
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A robotic dog with an RPG launcher affixed to its head was on display at an arms conference sponsored by the Russian Ministry of Defense in Moscow.
The developers billed the dog as a sample "capable of conducting aimed shooting and transporting weapons," and Russian state-sponsored media outlet RIA Novosti relayed that fabrication.
Reporters at The Insider, an investigative journalism site that undermines Russian propaganda, identified the dog as Unitree Robotics' Go1 robot pet.
The publication found that the robot was shuttled through Russian businesses and bureaucracies to pass it off as a domestic development.
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The Go1 is identifiable by the cameras at the front of its "octagonal" head - the tight black cloth the bot is wrapped in does little to disguise it.
The Insider said the Go1 is "essentially a toy" and does not have the load-bearing capability to carry the loaded grenade launcher.
Their article cites Australian bloggers on YouTube who attempted to fit the Go1 with weapons but they found that both weight and recoil would tip the robot dog over.
A Go1 robot costs between $2,700 and $3,500 when bought directly from Unitree Robotics.
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Russian news tried to brand the robot dog as operable in a war zone, but the specs say the bot cannot navigate difficult terrain.
A Twitter user cited by The Insider also found the bot has a power down switch designed for shutting the dog down if it gets away from the user.
The switch can be accessed and used by a hacker to shut the dog off.
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Freedom House, a non-profit organization that studies the well-being of citizens everywhere, says that media is wholly under the control of the Russian government.
Journalists that counter Russian press, like The Insider, will often headquarter outlets outside of the country's borders to avoid persecution.