The robot army of the future

It seems a little irresponsible to write an article about robotic soldiers without at least making a passing reference to this really enlightening documentary about robots and the military we once saw called Terminator 3, but the New York Times has an overview of the the Pentagon's quest to have robots as a major part of the US military within the next ten years. The robotic army they're building is still a long way from humanoid-like bots that can come even close to replicating what a human soldier can do (or one that can be trusted to make decisions about who or what to attack), but the US military is already using robots to take care of Improvised Explosive Devices and haul stuff around in Iraq and search caves in Afghanistan, and there are plans to introduce a machine gun-equipped bomb disposal bot called the TALON over in Iraq in April (pictured at right). Eventually it'll be standard to have robots assigned to each army unit, with the plan now to have autonomous robotic trucks (that's what the Grand Challenge is all about), scouts, and sentries in addition to robotic infantry.

[Via SmartMobs]

[nojetlag @ Dec 19th 2005 12:10AM]

Well best thing is to stay home, then there is no need for robot killers :)

[Meatbot Mark I @ Dec 19th 2005 12:10AM]

There seems to be something that gets everyone excited when a robot designed to kill humans runs around on the ground.

The military has been using robots to kill humans, including innocent civilians, for decades. A close encounter with a air-to-air self guiding rocket can ruin your day, just ask the relatives of the folks on flight 007.

The real question to me is, will we be more "civilized" if we can achieve a point where disputes that can't be resolved diplomatically can be resolved by much less bloody robotic combat?

Can, as portrayed in THX 1138, the winner be declared when the battle budget on one side is exhausted? Or would we just announce a "revolution" in low cost combat and go back to employing meatbots to slug it out when the budget runs empty?

[szkud @ Dec 19th 2005 12:10AM]

Wow, it's like Short Circuit with guns.

That's just what we need. An armed outfit of "Johnny Five alive"

[Spencer @ Dec 19th 2005 12:10AM]

Human Skull meet robot foot,

Robot foot meet human skull

[unknownaltay @ Dec 19th 2005 12:10AM]

No one seems to be commenting on the fact that iRobot, the company featured in the article, also brought us our favorite vacuum cleaner, the Roomba!

[Michael G @ Dec 19th 2005 12:10AM]

Now we don't have to worry about a "military draft" We can invade anybody and everybody.

WORLD DOMINATION, can begin.

[Peter G @ Dec 19th 2005 12:10AM]

The final item is for our computers to become "self-aware" and the documentary known as Terminator 3 will finally be realized.

[MunkFachine @ Dec 19th 2005 12:10AM]

I for one welcome our new robot overlords.

[juepucta @ Dec 19th 2005 12:10AM]

Again, they have been watching old GIJoe cartoons. I swear i had those toys when i was a kid.

G.

[Eleon Gonzales @ Dec 19th 2005 12:10AM]

It looks like a cross between short circuit (how many people remember those movies?) and the other robot in robocop. I can't wait. I just hope redvsblue rips on this like they did about the mars rovers.

[Doug Jensen @ Dec 19th 2005 12:10AM]

For a more comprehensice view of the Army's robotic future, Google "future combat system".