The South Korean Defense Development Agency announced the completion of work on a prototype robot for tunnel exploration. The ATE autonomous vehicle was developed jointly with the Command for the Development of Combat Capabilities of the US Army, Defense News reports .
The agency produced a prototype of the robot together with Hanwha Defense. It is noted that the machine can autonomously explore underground tunnels without topographic information. The robot is able to register dangerous situations and create a three-dimensional map of the area.
He can also get software based on artificial intelligence, which will automatically perform intelligence tasks. Thanks to ATE technology, the robot will be able to perform tasks underground, where there is no GPS signal.
One operator can control several robots using a smartphone or tablet. During the tests, the robot prototype was able to explore a 1.5-kilometer-long cave. The machine recognized dangerous objects and contaminated areas, and also made a map.
"Once deployed in the field, the ATE robot will carry out missions to ensure the safety of combatants during underground operations and urban warfare and will increase operational efficiency to some extent," the agency's representative said.
Earlier, ACS Publications magazine reported that Chinese experts from Sichuan University have created a fish robot that is designed to collect microplastics in water.