Carnegie Mellon's "Crusher" military bot getting $14 million upgrade

Carnegie Mellon's so-called "Crusher" unmanned military vehicle already had quite a bit going for it in its previous incarnation, but it now looks to set to expand its robotized arsenal even further, courtesy of a $14.4 million grant from the Army. According to the university's National Robotics Engineering Center, the updated bot will make use of the "latest suspension, vehicle frame, and hybrid-electric drive technologies to improve upon its predecessor's performance" while also promising to, somewhat ominously, "push the envelope for autonomous and semi-autonomous operation." That the NREC says, should allow the bot to begin working alongside troops in five or ten years, with it initially confined to convoy roles before it puts its autonomous skills to use in "tactical" missions.

[Via CNET Military Tech]

[David @ Dec 4th 2007 3:14AM]

From a consumer's point of view, I wonder how fast it goes

[Castaa @ Dec 20th 2007 12:47AM]

SkyNet wasn't available for comment.

[KultioVator @ Dec 4th 2007 4:30AM]

More importantly... does it blend?

[KultiVator @ Dec 4th 2007 4:35AM]

Meh... it's just a bigger version of this 1980's toy for boys...

http://accel95.mettre-put-idata.over-blog.com/0/34/38/73/bigtrak_20n_20box.jpg

Bet it's can't run for six hours on a set of D sized batteries - or makes a cool sound when it's laser fires! ;-)

[John @ Dec 4th 2007 4:01AM]

It's all coming together, soon we will be more than autonomous...

[Wwhat @ Dec 4th 2007 12:18PM]

That made little sense.
Perhaps this helps:
autonomous: Of, pertaining to, or characterized by autonomy; self-governing, independent; free of external influence or control.

[John @ Dec 4th 2007 1:21PM]

"We are your overlords"

[Wwhat @ Dec 4th 2007 3:17PM]

Well you said 'we will be more more autonomous' but it's more that they will be, and we will be less so :/

[zfurie @ Dec 5th 2007 12:42PM]

@ Wwhat

I think you're the first one they're gonna er um retire when they start the invasion.

[Mark @ Dec 4th 2007 4:11AM]

hey! they stole this from aliens!

james cameron sues.

[KultiVator @ Dec 4th 2007 4:38AM]

Cameron nicked the idea from BigTrak - he was a big fan and even splashed out on the dumper trailer add-on.

[webon @ Dec 4th 2007 4:43AM]

Great scot!
they might as well as name this the T1, followed no less by the rest of T bots that Will eventually take over, kicking our fragile non metallic Asses

[Wwhat @ Dec 4th 2007 12:19PM]

I'm sure it will be mainly used against 3rd world countries and tinted people :x

[Bad Beaver @ Dec 4th 2007 5:09AM]

I love how they took great care to make the unit look used with all the mud before placing it on this arid, perfectly lit piece of hill for the product shot.
Look at it, it's as though it just screeched to a halt and is still panting, hardly able to control its lust for human pain.

[Karim @ Dec 4th 2007 9:16AM]

No, if that's the look they were going for, they would have placed pieces of a bloodied, mangled mannequin under one of the wheels.

In reality most of the $14 million is going to MTV to offset costs incurred for the new "Pimp My Autonomous Killing Machine" series. It's going to look pretty sweet once they get the new Blaupunkt and chrome spinners installed.

[I Am the Night !! @ Dec 4th 2007 5:14AM]

Does it come in black..?

[Rususeruru @ Dec 4th 2007 5:55AM]

Nope
Desert Camo, Urban Camo, Jungle Camo, and chrome.

[RC @ Dec 4th 2007 5:22AM]

Why do people think of the Terminator? What about Data? This thing might end up singing at your granddaughter's wedding!

[Future Trend @ Dec 4th 2007 7:57AM]

The march of robots begins ... we are all doomed .... well, may be not ....

[modelcadet @ Dec 4th 2007 9:52AM]

I think the whole DARPA Grand/Urban Challenge thing is way cool, but I've always wondered... if the powers that be are so worried about how dangerous it is to drive a convoy truck, why not just do it remotely?

[Electromodo @ Dec 4th 2007 10:17AM]

@modelcadet

I can imagine several reasons:

1. The remote control signal can be intercepted, jammed, hacked and the convoy truck might end up in enemy's hands.

2. The situation on the battlefield can change very quickly, and remote control center might be unaware of that.

3. Decrease of visibility or other factors (dirty/broken camera) might prevent remote operator from driving the vehicle effectively.

3. Humans are cheaper than robots (?)

All those issues can be addressed, it's probably not just feasible now.

[Wwhat @ Dec 4th 2007 12:22PM]

UAV are possible, so I'm sure a truck is easy.
You probably hit the nail on the head with saying people are cheaper, and expendable.

[Wwhat @ Dec 4th 2007 12:24PM]

Oh, but how do we know they don't already use remote operated trucks and we just don't know about it.
Lots of experimental stuff is being done that they rather not talk about, either because the enemy will get info or more often because it's so disgusting that it might cause a backlash from the public.

[Kate @ Dec 4th 2007 10:10AM]

Haha, I skimmed the headline as "Melon Crusher" and thought, "that's a lot of machine for so little purpose."

[Kree @ Dec 22nd 2007 1:27AM]

I'm glad I'm not the only one to read that headline as "Melon Crusher". Fruit and heavy machinery make for good Youtube videos.

[Mark Eberhart @ Dec 4th 2007 10:37AM]

It's all fun and games until someone throws a can of paint on one of these war-bots and it can't sense anything.

[mike @ Dec 4th 2007 11:16AM]

All I could think of was the Futurama with the Crushinator...

"No Pa.... I Love him.... "

[Ipaq3115 @ Dec 4th 2007 11:36AM]

Does it come in... awww somebody already took it...

[RoboDan @ Dec 4th 2007 12:22PM]

This should be in the book "99 ways to destroy humanity, and all life" just behind the Gay Bomb and antimatter.

[newgalactic @ Dec 4th 2007 1:00PM]

Here are two very good comments about the secondary effects of robo-weapons. I highly recommend reading them:

http://science.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=376975&threshold=0&commentsort=0&mode=thread&cid=21549313

http://science.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=376975&threshold=0&commentsort=0&mode=thread&cid=21549845

[Wwhat @ Dec 4th 2007 3:24PM]

Indeed, although if it's a unmanned robot or a plane shooting you from 20000 feet without you even being able to see it, or do something about it, makes not much difference I imagine.
Albeit it that your friends can revenge you when there's soldiers in 'the field', and when it's all robots then all that is left is going to the country that sent the robots and bring a dirty bomb along I fear.

[Wwhat @ Dec 4th 2007 3:27PM]

Excuse me for the double 'it' and the use of 'revenge' instead of 'avenge'
(Corrective post because there are already enough bad writing influences)

[Murc @ Dec 5th 2007 1:30AM]

its a nice, I like.

[jimmyfinch @ Dec 4th 2007 8:34PM]

Listen. And understand. That "Crusher" is out there. It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead.