Move over dogs, this robot is going to steal your job too

There’s much speculation that robots will steal humans’ jobs in the years to come, but now they’re branching out and stepping on dogs' territory as well.

Dog herding cattle.

Researchers at Sydney University’s Australian Center for Field Robotics have tested a four-wheeled robot named Rover that can herd cows on dairy farms.

In the tests, they found that the cows actually responded well to the robotic presence in the field.

The $1 million remote-controlled ground vehicle prototype was able to round up groups of 20 to 150 cows from the field and lead them to their dairy station.

Rover, the cow-herding robot. (Image via BBC)

“Because the robot moved in a steady manner it allowed cows to move at their own speed which was important in reducing lameness among cattle,” Dr Kendra Kerrisk, dairy researcher, told the BBC.

Although Rover currently needs to be remotely controlled, the researchers are working on a way to make Rover fully autonomous.

Newer versions could also include features that allow the robot to collect data for farmers such as soil conditions and issues in the field like electric fence function.

Robots have been making appearances on the farm scene for a while. One 3,000-lb robot created by Dutch manufacturer Lely  can milk cows, control food intake, and adjust their schedules.

The University team demonstrated the robot earlier this year and has acquired necessary funding to keep improving the robot.

Story via BBC.