Japan has deployed a pack of robot wolves to battle the country’s record surge in bear attacks on humans.
The devices, known as “Monster Wolves”, are designed to scare away bears and other wild animals using flashing red eyes, loud growls and howling sounds.
Ohta Seiki, the Hokkaido-based company that makes the devices, said demand for the machines has surged. It has already received around 50 orders in 2026, more than the usual volume for an entire year.
Yuji Ohta, the firm’s president, said orders had exceeded normal annual demand within a few months.
“We make them by hand. We cannot make them fast enough now,” Mr Ohta told AFP, adding that customers are facing waits of up to three months.
34 Comments
kamenlady@lemmy.world · 42 pts · 93d
Fredselfish@lemmy.world · 16 pts · 93d
So like deer decoys not "wolf robots"?
chicken@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 20 pts · 93d
Decoy robots
nocturne@slrpnk.net · 13 pts · 93d
Sounds more like animatronics, akin to Chucky E Cheese.
chicken@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 7 pts · 93d
Those would count as robots if they could react to your presence and chase you
Fredselfish@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 92d
Yeah but these things won't chase the bears.
mrcleanup@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 92d
For those wondering, this is the photo from the article.
myrrh@ttrpg.network · 33 pts · 93d
Klairabelle@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 93d
OHMYGODYEEEEESSSSS!!!
funkajunk@lemmy.world · 24 pts · 93d
What I pictured when I heard "Japanese Wolf Robots":
My disappointment is immeasurable 😩
CentipedeFarrier@piefed.social · 2 pts · 93d
I was reading with increasing trepidation, and was relieved when I got to the bit about them being harmless, for largely similar reasons.
Nurse_Robot@lemmy.world · 19 pts · 93d
But how will we tackle the robot wolf crisis??
psx_crab@lemmy.zip · 13 pts · 93d
By releasing the Metal Gear.
charade_you_are@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 93d
robot bears
Sebeck012@feddit.nl · 9 pts · 93d
InternetCitizen2@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 92d
Danger 5?
Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 93d
How do you say Hound of the Baskervilles in Japanese?
cjoll4@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 93d
バスカヴィル家の犬
pruwybn@discuss.tchncs.de · 1 pts · 93d
バスガスバクハツ？
Sharkticon@lemmy.zip · 8 pts · 93d
So much to hate about this world we live in. So much to despise. Every now and then though, you see a headline that makes you happy.
Leather@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 92d
yawns Call me when the bears are 100m tall and radioactive and the only way to stop them is to merge six robo wolves into a mega wolf.
Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 93d
Why don't they just build a voltron???
charade_you_are@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 93d
cause the pilots will just fuck around for 15 minutes as 5 lions until they finally form Voltron. 10 seconds and 1 sword slash later, the bear will be slashed in half. pisses people off
nocturne@slrpnk.net · 6 pts · 93d
Or 20 minutes as 37 cars or whatever.
charade_you_are@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 93d
I actually had the car voltron when I was a kid. I can't remember if I ever saw the cartoon for it though
myrrh@ttrpg.network · 2 pts · 92d
charade_you_are@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 90d
yeah, i wasn't even sure there was a cartoon vehicle voltron, thanks for the validation. not going to try to find it and watch since it definitely won't hold up.
never knew there was a 3rd one. probably look it up for shits and giggles
myrrh@ttrpg.network · 1 pts · 92d
nocturne@slrpnk.net · 2 pts · 92d
... and I'll form the head!
CultLeader4Hire@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 93d
Not as bad as expected
farmgineer@nord.pub · 2 pts · 92d
None in my village. I'm not sure if that's fortunate or unfortunate. We definitely have bears that come within a couple KM of my house.
jalkasieni@sopuli.xyz · 2 pts · 92d
Pretty sure what they actually need here is a strapping young Akita who goes on a quest across Japan to gather the strongest fighting dogs to form an army and push back the bear menace once and for all.
portuga@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 92d
Finally some uplifting news
grue@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 93d
In a weird coincidence, the Bizarre Beasts YouTube channel just came out with a video about what happened to Japan's real wolves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUKGQKkUKeE
Floodedwomb@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 93d
Foiled by YouTube thumbnails.
grue@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 92d
hehehehe
The link text goes to the legitimate video, though.
beyoublahaj@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 92d
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41v3L0zCkNY&t=397