Boston Dynamics, owned by Alphabet, built a massive robotic mule. However, the U.S. Marine Corps has refused to use it. The robot, named LS3 (Legged Squad Support Systems), was developed to bear cargo weight for soldiers during combat. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) provided finance for developing the robot.

LS3 is equipped with the ability to travel, while carrying 400 pounds of equipment on its back. The robot is capable of running on a stretch of 20 miles for straight 24 hours. It doesn’t require any controller because it is capable to taking visual and verbal cues from the soldiers it is travelling with.

The reason for the Marine Corps using the robot is because it has an engine that operates on gas, which doesn’t prove to be the stealthiest piece of technology. According to a spokesperson for the Warfighting Lab, Kyle Olson, the robot was being used by the Marine Corps.

They were facing the challenge to identify the potential possibility due the LS3’s drawbacks. Marines accepted the robot the way they were though they were too loud and posed the threat of revealing the soldiers’ positions.

However, Marine Corps are still in favor of using the robots but after certain modifications. The spokesperson said, "The Marine Corps isn't looking for a fair fight." The spokesperson’s statement came after Marine Corps’ stating that "the necessity of autonomous, unmanned, and robotic capabilities" to gain a "tactical edge through technological overmatch."