Notre Dame Practices with Remote-Controlled Robot Dummy Defenders

Is this the future?

As Notre Dame prepares for the 2016 season, head coach Brian Kelly and Co. are incorporating robot defenders into practice.

Seriously.

According to Eric Hansen of the South Bend Tribune, the Mobile Virtual Players (which we've seen before at Dartmouth) are 180 pounds and can reach speeds of 18 mph. On Saturday, the Fighting Irish used the dummies to simulate pass-rushers.

Those things can take a hit, too.

"They're worth their weight in gold," Kelly said, per Hansen.