The scientists said the device could work like "an artificial nose for a robot dog", sniffing out extremely low concentrations of vapour.

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Boston Dynamics rose to fame with its four-legged cargo robot Big Dog, (also captured in a YouTube sensation here) which shows an uncannily life-like ability to walk over terrain and recover its footing even when it slips or is kicked.

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It was the "puppy couch Sotoro" -- a (for lack of a better way to put it) furry dog robot couch that whimpers when it's upset.

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One morning in September 1940, a boy called Marcel Ravidat was exploring the hills above Montignac when his dog, Robot, uncovered a hole beneath a tree root leading to a cave.

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Mr. Zapolsky proposed teaching the robot to walk a dog.

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LS3, a dog-like robot, trots behind a human over rough terrain, carrying up to 180kg of supplies.

ECONOMIST: Robot ethics

The little robot serves as a combined assistant and guard dog.

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Today, it takes the form of a cartoon-like dog named Rity, developed at the Robot Intelligence Technology (RIT) Laboratory, at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).

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The Lascaux Cave was found, as most caves are, by kids and a dog, and as a rule the pooch named Robot, in this case does not make it back out.

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