AI Drones and Robot Dogs Are Hunting Bombs, Boars, and Birds

AI Drones and Robot Dogs Are Hunting Bombs, Boars, and Birds A wave of artificial intelligence and robotics is moving from labs into the real world, tackling dangerous and delicate tasks from bomb disposal to wildlife conservation. Governments and companies are deploying intelligent machines to perform jobs that are risky, repetitive, or require superhuman precision. In the United Kingdom, new drones equipped with AI software are being tested to detect landmines and hidden explosives from the air. The system scans large areas of ground automatically, identifying threats to allow for safe clearance from a distance, significantly reducing risks to military and humanitarian personnel [118535]. Hong Kong's environmental agency is using a similar blend of AI and robotics for conservation. It has deployed a laser-scanning robot, which moves like a robotic dog, through wooded areas to create detailed 3D maps of trees and assess their health. At the same time, AI-powered cameras automatically identify and count bird species in protected wetlands. Officials state the technology removes human error from environmental surveys, providing critical data for balancing new infrastructure projects with nature [47560]. In a more unconventional demonstration, a humanoid robot was filmed chasing a group of wild boars out of a residential area in Warsaw, Poland, and into a nearby forest. The viral video showed the two-legged machine herding the animals non-violently, suggesting a potential future role for robots in managing human-wildlife conflicts in urban spaces [128910]. The underlying AI technology is also transforming how major events are broadcast. At the recent Winter Olympics, a new system used AI to generate "orbiting" replays of figure skating jumps, showing athletes from impossible, 360-degree angles created from standard camera footage [82096]. These deployments mark a shift from research to practical application, with intelligent machines taking on roles that enhance safety, improve accuracy, and handle unpredictable environments. AI Drones Hunt Landmines: UK Tests Life-Saving Tech Hong Kong Deploys AI Robot Dogs to Scan for Wildlife Robo-Guard: Viral Video Shows Humanoid Robot Chasing Boars from Warsaw Streets AI Replay Tech Makes Olympic Jumps Spin on Screen