November 23, 2021

The Turtle and the Scare


The Turtle and the Scare
Turtle Bot wants to scare you | Wikimedia Commons

On November 19, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that the Kabardino-Balkarian Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences has developed a “turtle” to disperse crowds at street riots.

The tiny bots, slated to stand around waist-height on adults and run at speeds up to 60 kilometers per hour, come equipped with several capabilities to gradually discourage gatherings. First, the robots will project messages of illegal behavior via speakerphone in case milling individuals are not aware that what they are doing is wrong. If this tactic fails, the robot might pull a Spiderman and launch a net to trap a “fugitive,” and then spray the individual in quick-hardening foam to prevent escape.

It is not clear whether scientists at the Kabardino-Balkarian Scientific Center developed the technology independently, but the Rosgvardia (Federal Service of the Troops of the National Guard of the Russian Federation), an internal military force, has stated that they did not order the turtles.

While in recent years there has been discussion of including new technology in the Rosgvardia’s repertoire of means to combat protests, such as “Punisher” armored cars and “Wall” complexes that would protect the solders from angry mobs, these techniques have seen practically no use. The Russian National Guard and mass police tend to disperse crowds with the use of batons and physical force.

Nets, foam, and a big mouth? The turtle could not be that bad, surely – not fearsome like an all-knowing robotic teacher, anyhow.

 

You Might Also Like

Putting Robots to Work on the Past
  • March 01, 2020

Putting Robots to Work on the Past

Ever wanted to take a stroll in nineteenth century Moscow? See how one Russian uses machine learning to make grainy old videos ever more realistic.
Robots Hit the Road
  • September 10, 2021

Robots Hit the Road

Three Russian cities are set to host the country's first unmanned taxis. What could go wrong?
Cops and Robots
  • August 10, 2021

Cops and Robots

Russia's “Promobot” is more efficient than the teacher with eyes in the back of her head.
Robodogs, Space Movies, and Skydiving
  • July 15, 2021

Robodogs, Space Movies, and Skydiving

In this week's Odder News, a skydiver plunges into family breakfast, Russian and American actors fly into space, and robots are taking over.
iTeacher
  • May 31, 2021

iTeacher

After a year of education through computer screens and the internet, one Russian school looks to bring the screens back into the physical classroom with a robotic teacher. 
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

 
Marooned in Moscow
May 01, 2011

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955