Subscribe now

Technology

Russia is building ground-based kamikaze robots out of old hoverboards

Hoverboards, or self-balancing scooters, are already used by hobbyists as a basis for robots, but now a group in Russia is putting them to use on the battlefields of Ukraine

By David Hambling

12 July 2024

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

A robot made from two hoverboards

Two Majors

A Russian group is cobbling together hoverboards, a form of personal transport, to create four-wheeled robots capable of carrying out kamikaze attacks, moving supplies or laying a smokescreen.

Both sides in the Russia-Ukraine war are using improvised aerial drones by the thousand, while in the Black Sea, Ukraine has deployed an armada of uncrewed vessels developed from Jet Skis and speedboats. Both sides are also developing cheap ground-based robots, and Russia’s latest effort is an extreme example.

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox! We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, subscribe today with our introductory offers

Unlock this article

No commitment, cancel anytime*

Offer ends 15 January 2025.

*Cancel anytime within 14 days of payment to receive a refund on unserved issues.

Inclusive of applicable taxes (VAT)

or

Existing subscribers

Sign in to your account