British bots battle it out, Army-style

Robot designers are currently duking it out for the British army in hopes of nabbing the hearts (and pocketbooks) of the UK's fighting force. In a makeshift "wartime European village," scientists and researchers are putting their helper-droids to the test as Army officials look on and investigate how the automatons might serve alongside troops. Some of the robots being looked at include a "Moon buggy" which remotely patrols for enemies via thermal imaging and then sends the data back to a command center, a helicopter that can be maneuvered in tight urban spaces, and a RC car with what appears to be a pile of digicams mounted on top of it. The winners of the competition will be announced Monday, but you can hit the read link and see a video -- replete with annoying British television presenter -- of some contestants.

[Thanks, Jack]

[Juxtah @ Aug 17th 2008 4:21PM]

Our television presenters are annoying? That made me laugh considering how often I watch US news.

[Richard Lai @ Aug 17th 2008 4:27PM]

And I was going to say the presenter is actually quite cute.

[Mustaine @ Aug 17th 2008 4:47PM]

I was hoping for Craig Charles (Red Dwarf, Robot Wars)

[Not so sure @ Aug 17th 2008 5:31PM]

And I'm going to say you're actually quite wrong

[j_g_puff @ Aug 17th 2008 6:05PM]

She does have a slightly odd voice...I thought it was Konnie Huq (petite hottie, recently liberated from Blue Peter to present at large) at first. There should have been less talk and more killing with lasers.

Note, though, for non-native speakers: it's IH-rack. Not EYE-rack.

[Wolfticket @ Aug 17th 2008 6:27PM]

The last time I saw Konnie Huq she was fighting a protester for control of the Olympic torch.

[Richard Lai @ Aug 17th 2008 6:34PM]

j_g_puff: surely you mean "IRR-arch" instead of "IH-rack"?

[j_g_puff @ Aug 18th 2008 3:46AM]

Lai, I guess it depends how you pronounce IH.

[Richard Lai @ Aug 18th 2008 4:52PM]

j_g_puff: No, I meant the "rack" bit. I thought us Brits say "r-arch" instead.

[d @ Aug 17th 2008 4:32PM]

whenever i see a robot in the pic of an article, i expect a vid containing at some point past the permalink

[misha @ Aug 17th 2008 5:25PM]

XBOX 360 cam ??

[Michael May @ Aug 17th 2008 4:43PM]

I was gonna get mad at the usual anti-britishness, but god she is annoying!

[Nick K. @ Aug 17th 2008 4:48PM]

Is that a REVO? It certainly seems to be 1/8th due to the nitro engine, and the overly dampened shocks... It certainly seems to be a REVO due to the blue universal covers... The fuel on that isn't very "efficient" for use on the battlefield... I doubt it'll make it to any war. I know the US already has some Traxxas kits in commission, or at least that's what I heard over a year ago.

[Ed @ Aug 17th 2008 5:20PM]

I was going to guess a REVO too - high five to a fellow R/Cer! Even if I race 1/10 IC

[josh @ Aug 18th 2008 5:05AM]

they make an electric revo now, i just bought one! its badass

[Crand @ Aug 18th 2008 1:12AM]

I wonder if it has RPM arms.

[Zeus.:God @ Aug 18th 2008 5:28AM]

Too bad they didn't base it off the Savage... Much more powerful truck, and a lot tougher, too.

[Technex @ Aug 18th 2008 1:31PM]

Lightning Stadium PRO-R here :).

As you can see I'm into heli's too.

I think this is a stupid idea, nitro fuel is expensive, hard to come by and you have to be careful where you store it.

A much better idea would be electric, not only is there hardly any noise which will attract attention (none with the right setup) but you can recharge anywhere. It's also reliable and doesn't cut out every few mins like most nitro engines would do, specially under the harsh conditions of the army such as dust, gun fire bashing it around etc.

And at a guess 98% of people don't even know what to lean or to rich means...

TBH they're both nothing special, give me a day and I could do the car camera system.

Give me about a week and I could have a heli designed with the same system. I would hardly call it a helicopter though, more of a VTOL. Good luck taking that out in the wind.

What you want is a 600e CP heli, that'll make 'em run.

[jeffrey @ Aug 18th 2008 7:25PM]

but those tires look the same as my stock savage 4.6 ss, strange combination

[Chris @ Aug 17th 2008 5:09PM]

Loving the confusion between British and English in this post as well :)

[NM @ Aug 17th 2008 6:25PM]

Even the English find it confusing! Most of them call themselves British and have little sense of their own nationality. Just watch you don't call a Scotsman 'English' or 'British' when on vacation!
When the national English sports teams play they fly the flag of the U.K. (which includes other countries like Scotland and Wales who want the English opposition team to win!!!)

ENGLAND = British / English - the two are synonymous
SCOTLAND = Scottish

i didn't go to Wales or N.Ireland

[LondonConsultant @ Aug 17th 2008 6:49PM]

The British Army is England's fighting force - just like the US Army is California's fighting force...

[D0mth0ma5 @ Aug 17th 2008 6:49PM]

She is British and English, if you are Scottish then your are also British no matter how much you wish it wasn't so. We own you...

[Chris @ Aug 17th 2008 6:54PM]

(Sorry, posted this in the wrong part of the thread ...)

@NM - trust me, the English are not confused over their British/Englishness - as a national of this fair island I can tell you we are all able to make the distinction, it's just people who look in can't :)

Take your whole sporting analogy - You say the English fly the Union Flag at sporting events, which isn't true. The England football team fly the St George's Cross. You say the Scots don't fly it but Rangers in Scotland do. You have a very simplistic approach to this argument and although my reply isn't in a great deal of depth I can assure you ... you wrong ;-)

[LondonConsultant @ Aug 17th 2008 8:13PM]

@NM:
It's easy to combine four constituent countries (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) into one country (Britain) for just about everything, except the most important thing - soccer. That's why Great Britain is my country's Olympic team (with British flag), but England is my country's soccer team (with English flag). And, because Britain isn't allowed to enter all four of its constituent countries' soccer teams into the Olympics, we therefore don't enter any! But we may create a combined British soccer team specially for the London Olympics in 2012. Not at all confusing... ;-)

[Guy @ Aug 17th 2008 5:15PM]

Reporter: "Does it fly?"
Guy "................."
Guy "blah blah blah"
Guy "no"

[Chris @ Aug 17th 2008 6:50PM]

@NM - trust me, the English are not confused over their British/Englishness - as a national of this fair island I can tell you we are all able to make the distinction, it's just people who look in can't :)

[Major4Play @ Aug 17th 2008 6:01PM]

"for the British army in hopes of nabbing the hearts (and pocketbooks) of England's fighting force."

The British army is the fighting force for England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland. [The United Kindgom of Great Britain]

Thats a bit like saying
"for the American army in hopes of nabbing the hearts (and pocketbooks) of Arizona's fighting force."

I know ROW maps are hard to find in America but at least try.

[Ian @ Aug 17th 2008 6:15PM]

That machine looks like ti was bought yesterday from radio shack! And the helicopter hasn't even flown yet! Is this the best on show?
That's the biggest microphone I've ever seen!

[Oddly @ Aug 17th 2008 7:11PM]

Did nobody notice the link on that page titled "Final Skynet satellite launched"? We're all doomed.

[lowdef @ Aug 17th 2008 8:16PM]

"a small man with a rifle"

that phrase and the subsequent image it created made me lol hard.

[BorgKing @ Aug 18th 2008 10:19AM]

Why does he need 6 rotors?

I can get a perfectly flyable model helicopter from a shop a couple of blocks away, no patent required. And it will fly before that 'scalper' will.

[Prestwick @ Aug 18th 2008 12:59AM]

Also, it isn't a "makeshift "wartime European village," " but actually are part of a very permenant training facility which was designed to simulate urban warfare in a West German hamlet style of location. Interestingly, there is a similar facility on the south coast of England which simulates the same high density urban environment that you would find in central Belfast or Derry. All hush hush mind you and I doubt that its used anymore.

Anyway, focus on what you know Engadget and leave the Military double-guessing to Wired.com's Danger Room blog. This is kind of like saying that Fort Bragg has a "makeshift training area for America's Airborne forces".

[Parang Boi @ Aug 18th 2008 1:28AM]

Enough with the hosts and the English/British thing!

They might as well just buy Mk II ! (from MSG4)

[swingin' dick hero @ Aug 18th 2008 4:36AM]

I like it when he presents the helicopter the little buggybot drives into the background and demands attention. Cute little thing, eh?

[Eric @ Aug 18th 2008 1:14PM]

Yes. That is a moded REVO 3.3 from Traxxas

[Peter @ Aug 18th 2008 2:06PM]

Must be a brushless conversion, otherwise the engine vibration would ruin the video/images. Could use some preload spacers or stiffer springs.