A strong team: the reservist and his dog

Charly B.* is a person who can inspire and captivate others. He is really passionate about his work as a recruiter for the Bundeswehr. Several times a year, he travels to trade fairs throughout Germany to promote a career in the Bundeswehr. His loyal companion: a dog.

Zoom

A dog? You read that correctly. However, not an ordinary dog. The four-legged companion of the sergeant major does not have fur and there is no blood running through its veins - it is powered by a battery. When asked whether the dog could be petted, B. always answers with a smile: "You can do it, but it doesn't feel anything."

We are talking about the so-called walking robot, a robot dog. Among other places, its home is the branch office of the Bundeswehr Technical Center for Land-Based Vehicle Systems, Engineer and General Field Equipment (WTDWehrtechnische Dienststelle 41) in Koblenz.

Here, the robotic assistance system is being researched and made usable for military requirements on behalf of the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support. This includes, for example, analyses on the robustness and mobility of the robot dog, on behavior on different surfaces or on battery life. The potential employment possibilities for the four-legged friend are manifold: Whether for reconnaissance, mine detection or 3-D surveying – it has many talents.

After many years as a soldier, Charly B. has been working for the Bundeswehr Communication and Information Systems Services Command as a reservist tasked with recruitment for several years. He supports the organization of trade fairs and events all over Germany – in 2021, for example, more than 20 of them. That is also where he discovered his dog. He recounts that when he saw the robot for the first time on one of these occasions, he fell in love with it right away.

"It's fascinating how people are immediately amazed when they see it," the reservist reports. And he wants to provide even more people with the opportunity to meet the special dog – and therefore also to give them an insight into the world of the Bundeswehr. Thus, B. attended further training and obtained the necessary robotics certificate in order to be able to operate the walking robot himself.

Ever since, the two have been almost inseparable: Charly B. with the gamepad in his hands, his "dog" usually not far away.

*name abbreviated for protection