Russian cadets have developed a spy robot disguised as a stone for positional warfare in conditions of sniper coverage, the Defense Ministry’s Zvezda news channel reported Sunday.
Video of the camouflaged spy rock the size of a small pet showed it navigating grassy terrain on caterpillar wheels with a mini camera sticking out of its top.
"Due to its disguise and ability to change positions, it can come in handy in trench warfare," Zvezda wrote.
The motion-sensor robot is reportedly activated at the slightest nearby movement.
According to Zvezda, the surveillance gadget has a 24-hour passive battery life with the ability to collect, process and transmit information for 15 hours.
A human operator must be within a 2-kilometer radius to operate the spy rock.
Zvezda reported that it took three years for students and professors at the Zhukovsky-Gagarin Air Force Academy in the southern Russian city of Voronezh took three years to develop the surveillance stone.
Social media users were quick to poke fun at the unconventional invention, with several calling it revenge for “bombing Voronezh,” a common Russian expression.
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