iRobot to convert UW's academic Seaglider into military drone
By Thomas Ricker 
posted Jun 11th 2008 4:00AM
posted Jun 11th 2008 4:00AM
It was more than a year ago when we first told you about the Seaglider (aka, Deepglider) autonomous robot used for academic research. As of today, it has the deep pocketed backing of iRobot. As soon as the ink dries, iRobot gains the sole rights to the University of Washington's technology and its long-range, high-endurance vehicle -- 70 of which are already making "oceanographic measurements" around the world. Presumably speaking to a crowd of generals with an affinity for Buck Turgidson, Helen Greiner, co-founder and chairman of iRobot said:
"We have a strong track record for transferring new technology from research initiatives into products that support military missions. Ten years ago we transformed the original PackBot into a combat-proven robot used today by soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, and licensing the Seaglider from the University of Washington will help our robots conquer new underwater frontiers."
Really Helen, conquer? Enemies of The State, you've been warned.
[Via gizmag]
That would make me sick if i was one of the research students on this project to build something to help the mankind but instead seeing it transformed as another crazy killing machine that will surely destroy many life in the future.
howful
Finally, exactly what we need to execute aquatic regime changes and bring democracy to the seven seas. The Mackerel will greet us with flowers in the streets.
Saddam Haddock can launch of Whales of Mass Destruction within 45 minutes. Be afraid, be very afraid.
Ooh, look: heavyhanded, snide political commentary that completely misconstrues a quote. Bravo.
"licensing the Seaglider from the University of Washington will help our robots conquer new underwater frontiers."
Underwater frontiers. Yeah. Not underwater national entities. (Did the Atlanteans survive and no one informed me!?) Kind of like man has been "conquering" frontiers for ages.
In other news, iRobot made a business decision to purchase what they see as viable military technology, an underwater Predator drone, if you will, that can sniff out marine mines and enemy craft without putting our people in danger. Soon, they might even make it Roomba's partner and it can clean my giant fishtank.
I don't like the War in Iraq or Afghanistan, but I support a strong national military. I also support cool new technologies that eventually trickle down to the consumer. Like computers. And jet aircraft. And carbon fiber.
Engadget for technology news=win.
Thomas Ricker's anti-military bias=fail.
There's fail here alright, but guess who's the one failing..
what a pathetic photoshop. no legs :(
great movie/reference though
Indeed, that could have been done better, and at that resolution the person doing it could have just drawn a few squiggly lines as legs and it would have worked better.
"We have a strong track record for transferring new technology from
research initiatives into products that support military missions."
And exactly how hard is it to turn new research into military
hardware? This is their design meeting:
"We could give it armor."
...
"How about guns?"
"Yeah, guns!"
...
...
"And we could make it faster!"
"Yeah, you're onto something!"
...
Come on.
No you got it all wrong, its NEW technology. Its gotta have lasers! In case it runs into sharks.....with...ah...lasers on their heads....
My wife calls me Deepglider.
....
what?
So uh... The drone is some guy's member? Or is he having relations with it? I'm confused... This kind of looks like the bear humping scene from Super Troopers...
It's the texan riding the nuke from the movie dr. strangelove, but riding the seaglider in this rendition.
Go rent it, it's a classic and watchable.
The obsession with Dr. Strangelove continues.
Ok really, all it does is take scientific measurements of water. I kind of doubt that that it's going to be killing someone anytime soon.
Read the helpful quote, which includes "..Ten years ago we transformed the original PackBot into a combat-proven robot used today by soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan..:
Now it's temperatures, tomorrow it's killing you.
Right except we already have these devices called torpedoes that do the job a lot better than the slow moving seaglider ever could. The Packbot was essentially designed for military use from the start (to scout ahead for danger with a camera) whereas the seaglider was designed for purely research. The only military application right now for it is to examine water currents that could essentially "hide" submarines.