Vishwatronix has developed a lightweight Remote Weapon Station named Pinaka, specifically designed for quadruped unmanned ground vehicles, often referred to as robot dogs.

The system weighs only 5 kg, making it compact and modular enough to be mounted as a payload on robotic platforms without compromising mobility.

The Pinaka-RWS offers a 360-degree turret traverse, enabling complete coverage in operational environments. It is equipped with a day and night optical and thermal surveillance suite, ensuring effective monitoring and engagement across varying conditions.

The system integrates artificial intelligence support for autonomous target detection and tracking, enhancing situational awareness and reducing operator workload.

Despite its autonomous features, the firing trigger and final authorization remain strictly under human control. This human-in-the-loop safety mechanism ensures that ethical and operational responsibility is retained by soldiers, preventing unintended engagements and maintaining compliance with battlefield protocols.

The system has been designed to fit quadruped unmanned ground vehicles that are capable of scouting hazardous, rocky, or unstructured terrain. Such platforms are increasingly being deployed in reconnaissance and support roles, where human presence would be risky. By integrating Pinaka, these robotic scouts gain defensive and offensive capability while maintaining agility in complex environments.

Vishwatronix has already demonstrated similar remote weapon mounts on Mahindra Armado protected tactical vehicles.

This broader testing reflects the company’s approach to modularity, ensuring that its weapon stations can be adapted across multiple platforms, from lightweight robotic dogs to armoured vehicles.

It is important to note that this Pinaka RWS is distinct from the heavy Pinaka Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher artillery system developed by DRDO and TATA.

While the artillery system is a large-scale battlefield weapon designed for saturation fire, Vishwatronix’s Pinaka represents a micro-scale innovation tailored for unmanned systems and tactical mobility.

The emergence of such lightweight RWS solutions highlights India’s growing focus on indigenous defence technology. Bangalore-based Vishwatronix is part of a new wave of defence Start-Ups that are blending robotics, autonomy, and advanced electronics to create battlefield systems suited for modern asymmetric warfare.

The company’s work reflects India’s broader push towards self-reliance in defence manufacturing under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat program.

Globally, robot dogs equipped with weapon stations have been tested in countries such as the United States and China, where they are seen as force multipliers in urban combat and reconnaissance missions. India’s entry into this domain with an indigenous solution demonstrates its intent to remain competitive in next-generation battlefield technologies.

The Pinaka RWS for quadruped UGVs is not just a technological milestone but also a strategic signal. It shows India’s ability to field compact, modular, and indigenous systems that combine autonomy with human oversight.

As trials expand, the system could pave the way for deployment across India’s mechanised and reconnaissance forces, enhancing both survivability and lethality in complex terrains.

Agencies