Ones with electric motors will be quiet.
Doesn't even have to be a whole golf cart, could be as simple as a skateboard.
Thanks for the reply.
Yes, but you mean with the engine running. What I do know is that whether it's a skateboard or a cart, there's definitely some terrain it can't get over, and moving them should cause noise in itself. The skateboard is probably a little better, but after all, it's also dead weight for a soldier. There would also need to be someone dedicated to making room for them. The robot dog doesn't need that.
Long story short, the dog is a complex device, many multiple servo motors for the articulation, control chips, etc.. If your example is just a suicide bomb truck (a la 2000's-style terrorism), then those are a waste of thousands of dollars. Also the increased complexity means more possible points of failure.
That being said, suicide bombers are popular, or rather popular in the mountainous areas I'm talking about indeed because they work so well, and they have a big effect.
Yeah, cost does seem to be an issue, maybe they could develop a version with a simpler structure? I'm not too worried about that to be honest though, Chinese robotic dogs usually cost a fraction of what they do in other countries, some to the tune of a few tenths. Massive production in wartime could also keep the price down. Honestly though, assuming it ends up costing a thousand dollars, I'd say it's worth it to use it to easily blast fortifications and attack convoys.
The Ukraine conflict is basically on the cutting edge of novel drone applications. We actually have seen them experiment with the Unitree, but suicide attacks are uncommon.
I read the article, but I didn't see exactly how Ukraine used those robot dogs, but I did see this quote:
While the quadrupedal design of the robot dogs means they are, in theory at least, more capable of climbing stairs than tracked or wheeled UGVs their utility remains to be seen. They have less capability to carry payloads and its unclear if they’ll be used in a one-way role with explosive payloads – though given every other unmanned system in Ukraine has, it is probably a just matter of time.
Also, this picture looks a lot like it's carrying a blaster.
Aside: Hilariously, the article mentions that some other sources state that the dogs are 'British-built' which I have seen referenced as well, but it is just a Unitree, so I guess they are stealing Chinese IP, lol.
What?! lol If the UK could do that, its industry wouldn't be so far down the drain right now.
