Rainbow Robotics RBQ (Defense)

A KAIST spin-off and the maker of the K2 tank have teamed up on a robot dog: Rainbow Robotics and Hyundai Rotem have developed a counter-terrorism quadruped since 2022, and the procurement agency DAPA put it through a six-month trial with the Army Special Warfare Command from August 2024.

The machine belongs to the RBQ series; Army Recognition's figures for the RBQ-10 – about 40 kg, 10 kg payload, 4 km/h walking and 12 km/h running, 150 minutes of operation – are quoted here with the caveat that the military version has not been confirmed as exactly the RBQ-10. Obstacle height is 20 cm according to Defense Post or 12 cm per the RBQ-10 datasheet.

Four electrically driven legs carry day and night cameras for reconnaissance and surveillance, under remote control with partial autonomy. Defense Post reports that a remotely operated firearm can be mounted, which is why the entry is flagged as an armed variant; the primary role is scouting ahead of special forces. Presented in August 2024, the robot is at pilot stage and priced on request.

Samsung Electronics is reported to hold a majority in Rainbow Robotics (general knowledge, not from the listed sources). The Western counterpart is the Ghost Robotics Vision 60 (51 kg, 10 kg payload) guarding US air bases; China's armed quadrupeds appear under kestrel-defense-armed-quadruped, and Hyundai Rotem's wheeled contribution is the HR-Sherpa.