Drone meets robotic dog: China’s social media erupts in fireworks

Viral video of robotic firefight sparks speculation on Chinese social media about the future of unmanned warfare

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A 10-second viral video depicting a firefight between a drone and a robotic dog has sparked plenty of reaction on Chinese social media. Photo: Weibo

Published: 9:00am, 27 Jan 2025Updated: 9:10am, 27 Jan 2025

A video showing an aerial drone and a robotic dog firing fireworks at each other has recently gone viral on Chinese social media, sparking lively discussions about the future of unmanned warfare.

In the video, the drone – with fireworks fixed to its landing gear – begins firing pyrotechnics at the robotic dog on the ground. The dog then moves forward and backward, dodging the fireworks while returning fire from fireworks mounted on its back.

At one point, the drone begins circling the robotic dog, forcing it to manoeuvre to counter the new threat.

It was not clear if either the drone or the robotic dog were remotely controlled or autonomous, and no location for the 10-second video was disclosed. The drone appeared to be a DJI T-series agricultural model, while the robotic dog seemed to be from the Go series produced by the Hangzhou-based robot developer Unitree Robotics.

The confrontation has received tens of thousands of likes online, with many people drawing parallels with real-life modern warfare.

“This video … will undoubtedly go down in history. It will be remembered as the first ‘Machine War’,” commented one social media user.