Remote-Controlled Throwable Robot Sent To Iraq For Testing

spacedaily.com ^ | 6/24/04 | Pittsburgh PA (SPX) (???)

[kms61]

Great for us while we have the monopoly on the technology. It begs the question, though....what happens in five or ten years when things like this are available off the shelf? Robot car bombs? Maybe we're approaching the day when the battlefield is just too dangerous for humans, and all the combat will be done by machines.

[Southack]

Proof that watching Robot Wars wasn't a waste of our time!

[endthematrix]

Bye, Bye humans. Welcome to the machines!

[Axenolith]

Righteous tag!

[zarf]

Battle Bots. Gotta love em.

[endthematrix]

I'm currently saving for a F-350 Superduty with a 8" lift and 35" BFG tires. I love my hour long commute! Watch out!

[adam_az]

Jeep Wrangler ownz u

[endthematrix]

I'm working on my '80 CJ-5 and my DD is a stock Cherokee. I married into a Mopar family. Had a Chevy and my father in law told me to get it off his property. Had to sell it to marry his daughter. Then my wife "suckered" me into getting my project jeep, now over four years rebuilding, glass tub and all the goodies.

[flashbunny]

You're about 15 years behind the times. They had robot car bombs in a dirty harry movie years ago.

[Khurkris]

for your viewing

[carl in alaska]

Robot "car" bombs could be a problem some day, but right now they would stand out as obvious threats and would be shot up by sentries (if they're big enough to do any major damage.) Unquestionably we need much better surveillance technology to secure a country like Iraq, and this is a start.

[hershey]

Don't worry. As soon as the Muslims and their friends cry foul, we'll take the robot out of service.

[DJ Frisat]

[dumb blonde/surf dude]

They're small enough to put in a backpack and "throw" into action? Doesn't this also mean, like, that somebody can, like, PICK ONE UP AND THROW IT INTO THE NEAREST RIVER?

Like, sheesh...

[/dumb blonde/surf dude]

[leprechaun9]

I hope that is also contains explosives that can be remotely detonated!

[Lockbar]

Wait till the RATS in both Congress and academia find out that Carnegie Mellon University is cooperating with the USMC. This robot program will be shut down fast unless it can be proved that these robotic "weapons of war" can be converted to delivering food to people too lazy to go to work, or can perform abortions.

[toddst]

It may also be configured to carry mission-specific payloads.

My guess is the thing would be armed with enough explosives to - um - discourage the enemy from trying to pick one up.

[numberonepal]

Heck these things ARE available off the shelf. Just go down to Radio Shack or any toy store. There are some very robust robotic toys that could be very easily modified to carry a camera or a small bomb. Even I could do it. They are so cheap, they could be disposable.

[Rebelbase]

The battlebot version has an anti personnel spike.

Looks like its good for picking up beer cans.

[Steve Eisenberg]

Great for us while we have the monopoly on the technology. It begs the question, though....what happens in five or ten years when things like this are available off the shelf?

Since PC's came out, I've been wanting to get a good programmable robot. However, what they're selling commerically, like Lego Mindstorms, is expensive and/or fragile and/or is limited in the directions it can see and/or can't climb or navigate obstancles well. I think that the military stuff is likely to continue to be far superior to what is off the shelf.

Plus, if they love death like we love life, they have no need for gadgets to make reconnaissance safer.