The way the military uses robots such as quadruped walking robots is evolving. Until now, the focus was on deploying robots as individual units for specific missions. Going forward, the center of gravity in development is shifting toward operating multiple types of unmanned systems under a single command structure. Not only the mobility performance of robots, but also command and control technology that moves multiple units simultaneously and links them with existing weapons systems, is emerging as a core competitive advantage on future battlefields.
According to the industry on the 8th, Lion Robotics, together with Hanwha Aerospace and the Agency for Defense Development, has won a Future Challenge project and is pursuing the development of technology to integrate and operate unmanned systems of different forms, such as quadruped walking robots and tracked robots. The key is not merely assigning missions to a single robot, but managing the movement and mission execution of multiple robots within one system. During the research process, mounting power generation equipment, mission equipment and even weapons on robots may also be reviewed. Lion Robotics plans to begin the related research in earnest starting next year, taking robot production schedules into account.
Earlier, in June this year, the company operated a self-developed quadruped walking robot alongside existing forces such as tanks and helicopters at an Army joint exercise. It tested a method in which the robot moves together with combat equipment while performing reconnaissance, detection and surveillance missions in an actual training environment. The company is also improving the performance of the military robot itself. Lion Robotics is developing a military-specialized model that can operate in extreme environments, targeting early next year. The goal is to improve durability and operational performance so that it can carry out missions normally even in watery environments or in subzero low temperatures.
Lion Robotics is not the only one making such moves. LIG D&A has launched development of a next-generation quadruped walking platform, led by its U.S. subsidiary Ghost Robotics. Compared with the existing "Vision 60," the goal is to reduce the robot's own weight by about 40 percent, while increasing maximum load capacity by 30 percent and battery operating time by 60 percent. By adding a robotic arm, it will also expand the missions the robot can perform in actual operations, such as opening doors, handling dangerous materials and retrieving objects.
Rainbow Robotics is broadening the range of applications for quadruped walking technology in the field. At a joint firepower exercise involving the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps in May this year, a multi-legged reconnaissance robot appeared alongside tanks.
Domestic defense and robot companies are developing robots specialized for the military because troop numbers are declining rapidly. The military's troop strength fell from 560,000 in 2019 to about 450,000 as of July last year. Some forecast that if the current trend continues, it could fall to around 350,000 by 2040. The need has grown for unmanned systems to take over missions that soldiers have handled, such as guarding, searching and detecting dangerous materials.
Expectations for growth in the related market are also high. Market research firm Future Market Insights forecast that the market for military and security quadruped walking robots will expand from 260 million dollars this year to 3.584 billion dollars by 2036. Unlike drones, which are constrained by flight space, quadruped walking robots can access many types of terrain that soldiers traverse, such as stairs and slopes, and can be used for various missions including reconnaissance, explosive identification and guard duty.
Experts agree that for domestic quadruped walking robots to spread across actual battlefields, price competitiveness must be improved. For domestic quadruped walking robots, some products cost more than 100 million won per unit. Compared with Chinese products, which have come down to the 10 million to 30 million won range, the price range of domestic products is high. While security and reliability take priority for military equipment, lowering introduction costs is unavoidable if robots are to be deployed on a large scale.
Industry officials and experts expect the focus of future military robot competition to gradually shift toward a full-stack artificial intelligence (AI) strategy. They say it is necessary to accumulate defense data and develop AI models specialized for military missions, while also building cloud and communications infrastructure that can process data in real time on the battlefield. Only when a system is in place in which multiple robots divide and perform missions on their own, with humans providing integrated command, can the troop-replacement effect begin in earnest.
Yoon Dae-yeop, a professor of military science at Daejeon University, said, "The Korean military is trying to solve the force gap caused by declining troop resources with AI and robots, but under the current system, the more drones and robots are deployed, the more people are needed to operate them." He argued, "We must take a comprehensive approach, including building defense data for the automation and intelligence of the military, developing defense AI models, and establishing real-time cloud systems."
