Could swarming AI robots on wheels revolutionise live firearms training?

Autonomous robots could be the future for military live-firing training, with one company arguing that static targets do not prepare troops for the battlefield. 

The Autonomous Robotic Training System is being embraced by US Marine Corps, the Australian Army and, now, even new recruits in Ukraine.

The robots designed by Marathon Targets run on a four-wheeled framework with "flat wheels" to conduct live fire training over uneven terrain in field environments.

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The robots use Lidar – which stands for light detection and ranging, a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges – to navigate and avoid collisions.

The human-shaped targets also react when shot, falling over or wobbling in movement, and are equipped with speakers that simulate speech or sound effects.

Using AI, they can even self-organise a swarming autonomous attack.

The UK is apparently interested in the system, which its manufacturer claims, has tripled the lethality of US Marine Corps users in just one day.