New military robots showcased at DARPATech 2007

While both the Navy and Air Force have recently warmed up to a new robotic friend, a number of military bots-to-be showed their stuff at DARPATech 2007. Among the standouts were a camera-guided Little Dog, the resilient Big Dog, a backpack-portable, fully autonomous Micro Air Vehicle, and a beefed-up version of the MAV (dubbed the Organic Air Vehicle) that can reportedly hover around for two hours. The latter creation was designed to "designate ground targets from the sky and paint targets up to 15-kilometers away with its laser designator," while the MAV can monitor a 10-kilometer radius "with infrared or visible cameras in hover-and-stare mode." The aforementioned canines seem to be terrain navigators, which could potentially be studied to improve the locomotion of walking machines in general. Go on, click through for a few glimpses of these friendly fellows -- they aren't armed, yet.

[carlos @ Aug 9th 2007 3:11PM]

I wonder if they can attack the little black robot to the guys hook in the background. Now THAT would be cool. Someone pisses him off *deploys attack bot!*

[NHAnimator @ Aug 9th 2007 3:11PM]

NOW we're talking robots!

[Luke @ Aug 9th 2007 3:13PM]

Was that super claw arm in the background on display as well?

[Matt B @ Aug 9th 2007 3:17PM]

To build a great robot, you need to be part one.

[simon goldberger @ Aug 10th 2007 5:27AM]

More worrying is, that the guy probably didnt have a hook for an arm when he started work on the project!!!!!!

[colby @ Aug 9th 2007 3:54PM]

Anyone seen GRAW (Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter)? I truly think that's the next feasible step in military tech. GPS combined with heads-up-display for our soldiers and unmanned air drones to "paint" ground targets. If they could be neatly Intertwined with an easy-to-use interface system, that would certainly give a great advantage to U.S. forces.

[Mile @ Aug 9th 2007 3:32PM]

RUN PLEO, RUN!

[Mark @ Aug 9th 2007 4:38PM]

looks like the stuff out of the terminator.

[Trace The Hedgehog @ Aug 9th 2007 4:11PM]

Pleo FTW

[Harbin @ Aug 9th 2007 4:23PM]

Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!

[Allan @ Aug 9th 2007 5:09PM]

I almost thought that first one was a VW Fast at first glance... weird looking.

[Sparky @ Aug 9th 2007 6:04PM]

Let slip the 'dogs of war'.

[Michael Bakshi @ Aug 9th 2007 6:10PM]

Those don't look anything like the Screamer robots ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screamers_(film) )

[waLLy @ Aug 9th 2007 6:39PM]

The resemblance of the "dog" robot pictured to bots that one would expect to find in a Hollywood flick is uncanny.

[blakfeld @ Aug 10th 2007 1:21AM]

...Metal Gear?!

[lonnon 123 @ Aug 11th 2007 12:34AM]

u4ururu6

[hemmy @ Aug 9th 2007 9:44PM]

I, for one, welcome our new robotic doggie overl...

ah f*ck it.

[strider_mt2k @ Aug 9th 2007 10:46PM]

Good against remotes is one thing, but against the living?

[TNP @ Aug 9th 2007 10:51PM]

Mom's Friendly Killbot Company
Guaranteed 100% Loyal

[E @ Aug 10th 2007 3:27AM]

Being that I am a military guy, this is really interesting. I would love to test those things.

[Alex Kirby @ Aug 10th 2007 5:53AM]

WOW know we have the power to defeat the aliens when they arrive!!! :)

[Larry Lawson @ Aug 16th 2007 7:46AM]

'test' them on WHAT or more importanly WHOM? We've already got mindless videogame players murdering innocent MOSLEMS just because zio-NAZIs in the media SAY they're the enemy. I see who the REAL enemy is here today. www . realnews247.com