Capturing every attack manoeuvre of a person wearing a lightweight motion-sensing device, the motion-controlled robot could precisely match moves with the help of artificial intelligence, according to the Chinese ministry newspaper Science and Technology Daily on November 28.
It is a feat that could have come straight from the 2011 American movie Real Steel, where a former prizefighting boxer returns to his sport which has been taken over by human-directed robots using a “shadow function” – or real-time motion control.
The “steel clone” combat robot is the latest in China’s drive to develop autonomous combat systems for modern warfare. The push has previously included the development of gun-toting robotic dogs or wolves.
The latest showcase of the combat robot, as well as a display of machines capable of searching for and dismantling explosives, took place during the 12th International Army Cadets Week held from November 3 to 9.
The annual event was held this year at the Army Engineering University of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in Nanjing in China’s eastern Jiangsu province, according to the PLA’s official English news site, China Military.
Cadets from eight PLA academies and more than 30 cadets from military academies in 13 countries – including Morocco, Pakistan, Thailand, Egypt, Brazil and Serbia – took part in military and cultural exchanges during the event.
During the army cadet week, the university’s robotics club showcased the combat robot in an exhibition.