We all know that dogs are a man's best friend. Well, now, scientists and engineers at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) are building a future where robot dogs are a sailor's best friend.

“The whole idea behind it is to toss a quadruped with an arm on it onto a ship and have it run around doing standard maintenance tasks,” says Ali Schroer, NRL mechanical engineer.

Right now, engineers at NRL are in the lab conducting basic tests and then eventually will be working up to something a little bit more complex like fire suppression or damage control.

“The coolest part is this dog won't need a leash. So once it's on a ship, it's actually not meant to be operated by anyone,” says Schroer. “It's supposed to be autonomous.”

Even though this program is in its early days, Schroer says she can see a future where sailors will always have a four legged friend while at sea.

For media inquiries contact: nrlpao@nrl.navy.mil

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