Army Prepares 'Robo-Soldier' for Iraq

Associated Press ^ | January 22, 2005 | Michael P. Regan

[anymouse]

"You have 10 seconds to put down your weapons. 9 seconds. 8 seconds....

[ambrose]

You're fired.

[ChefKeith]

A SWORDS robot shoots only when its human operator presses a button after identifying a target on video shot by the robot's cameras.

So this is the "refined version" of what the fedscum tried to kill Randy Weaver with at Ruby Ridge (minus the "telephone trigger")?

[formercalifornian]

Made in Massachussetts? Made in Massachussetts?

[Klatuu]

Let me know when they put a civilian version on the market.

[Iam1ru1-2]

Will these robots have the ability to fill out their own report on wounds they incurred during battle like their counterpart primitive version called John Kerry, 2nd Class?

[bayourod]

""It's important to stress that not everything has to be super high tech," said Sebasto. "You can integrate existing componentry and create a revolutionary capability." "

Obviously a newbie in procurement.

[Free and Armed]

Nope, but they can disguise themselves as American anti-war activists to lure the terrorists from hiding. Personally I'd rather have the real thing out there doing that.

[Dan Evans]

Didn't I see one of these at Toys R Us?

"With a weapons platform mounted to a Talon robot, the SWORDS system allows Soldiers to fire small arms weapons by remote control from as far as 1,000 meters away"

[sulla07]

I think that thing is going to need a lot of batteries.

[Righter-than-Rush]

If these things are GPS-equipped, they could be useful in spotting the enemy with distance and coordinate information, from the enemy, making laser bombs the more fun to target. Of course, something that lunky and loud is not going to lurk around without being noticed, especially in debris. I presume this is a geek (ala The Abyss, 1989) that will be a first line of information and, if the opportunity exists, or fire.

[Abcdefg]

I gotta wonder how many great ideas never got funding due to lack of a good acronym?

[GloriaJane]

And some of us used to think our kids were spending too much time setting in front of their computer, working those joysticks, playing those computerized games.

Who would ever think that it could end up being good training for fighting a war someday?

[fire_eye]

This thing looks good for guard and ambush but I doubt it would last 2 minutes in combat.

[BurbankKarl]

Coast to Coast Ping

If you are listening to Art Bell, these are the robots being deployed to Iraq

Robots heading to Iraq

Name: SWORDS

Type of Equipment:

Talon Robots (Armed)

Killer Features: With a weapons platform mounted to a Talon robot, the SWORDS system allows Soldiers to fire small arms weapons by remote control from as far as 1,000 meters away Different weapons can be interchanged on the system – the M16, the 240, 249 or 50-caliber machine guns, or the M202 –A1 with a 6mm rocket launcher

[RandallFlagg]

[Cheapskate]

any Dr. Who fans there, They should make them look like the Dalecs

exterminate"exterminate,EXTERMINATE!!

[anymouse]

"Johnny 5, reporting for duty." :)

[jiggyboy]

Sebasto wouldn't comment on what happens if the robot and its controller fall into enemy hands.

(insert beloved "Farm Film Celebrity Blow-Up" picture here)

[lainie]

I listened briefly last night..long enough for his guest to talk about using contrails to smother hurricanes. Something about cutting off the sun? the heat? They forgot to mention why hurricanes maintain and grow strength sometimes overnight. sigh. And how they plan to reduce water temperature over tropical regions. double sigh.