Scotland's first robotic horse, RoboCob, proves more 'forgiving' than its fictional namesake – Scotsman comment

Students at Scotland’s Rural College have been honing their riding skills on a new robotic horse

A £100,000 robot horse, dubbed RoboCob, has been teaching equestrian students how to jump at Scotland's Rural College (Chris Watt/SRUC/PA)

Given the stunning advancements in artificial intelligence, the arrival of Scotland’s first robotic horse – dubbed “RoboCob” after a type of pony and the 1987 film RoboCop – was probably to be expected.

Students at Scotland’s Rural College in West Lothian have been honing their riding skills on the machine, which stays in the same place but rocks about in various directions in an apparently life-like manner, while three screens provide the illusion of forward motion through courses that can include jumps of up to 1.2 metres. Eilidh Simmons, a student studying horse care and equine studies at the college, said it was “really realistic" but also “probably a lot more forgiving” than an actual horse.

In contrast, RoboCop adopted a decidedly less than forgiving approach to law enforcement with suspects told: “Dead or alive, you're coming with me.” Fortunately for us, such dystopian visions of the robot age have not yet come to pass. But, well, you never know, it’s maybe a good idea to keep on RoboCob’s good side with whatever its equivalent of sugar lump is – just in case.