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US military scientists have developed robotic dogs of war which can follow troops over the roughest terrain.

Called Legged Squad Support Systems, the mechanical hounds can carry 400lb for 20 miles without refuelling.

The robots were a hit when they were tested by America's Marine Corps. Now there are plans to make them talk.

Lt Col Joe Hitt, of the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency, said: "We want a radio operator to be able to tell it to 'sit, stay'. Likewise, the robot could tell them, 'I'm stuck, wait'."

The robo dogs were developed by Boston Dynamics with funding from DARPA and the US Marine Corps.

A video of them being put through the paces has notched up about 360,000 hits on YouTube.