Robot Dog Olympics takes place in Bristol
Teams of computer programmers have taken part in a Robot Dog Olympics to develop innovative tech solutions for the British Army, BBC News reports.
Around 40 coders from across the country assembled at Ministry of Defence (MoD) Abbey Wood in Bristol.
They were challenged to programme the robotic dogs to perform tasks including a 50-metre sprint and gymnastics.
Chris Burton, from technology company IBM, said the event was "really interesting in terms of collaboration".
The technology behind the robotic dogs is not new, but the way they can be programmed is constantly advancing.
The Robot Dog Olympics gathered together some of the brightest minds from all over the country to pool their knowledge and come up with new ideas.
The robots are designed to perform non-offensive tasks to protect troops and do not carry firearms.
Instead they aid troops by searching and scanning or delivering medicine and food into disaster areas.
The event was run by the Future Capabilities Group (FCG) at Defence Equipment and Support, the procurement arm of the MoD.