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US plans 'robot troops' for Iraq Machine-gun equipped robot Soldering on: A private firm helped the military make the robo-soldier The US military is planning to deploy robots armed with machine-guns to wage war against insurgents in Iraq.
Eighteen of the 1m-high robots, equipped with cameras and operated by remote control, are going to Iraq this spring, the Associated Press reports.
The machine is based on a robot already used by the military to disable bombs.
Officials say the robot warrior is fast, accurate and will track and attack the enemy with relatively little risk to the lives of US soldiers.
Unlike its human counterparts, the armed robot does not require food, clothing, training, motivation or a pension.
When not needed in war, it can be mothballed in a warehouse.
However, the robot will rely on its human operator, remotely studying footage from its cameras, for the order to open fire.
According to Bob Quinn, a manager with Foster-Miller, the US-based company which worked with the military to develop the robot, the only difference for a soldier is that "his weapon is not at his shoulder, it's up to half a mile away".
Test of metal
The robot fighter has been named Swords, after the acronym for Special Weapons Observation Reconnaissance Detection Systems.
Robot soldier Machine-gun equipped robot Can be fitted with standard-issue M249 or M240 rifle Has four cameras, night-vision and zoom lenses Can travel over rocks and barbed wire Batteries run for up to 4 hours at a time Remote control unit has two joysticks and video screen Costs $200,000 (£106,757) per unit
It is based on the Talon robot, which is widely used by the military to disarm bombs.
A US officer who helped test the robot said it was a more accurate shot than the average soldier because it is mounted on a stable platform and takes aim electronically.
"It eliminates the majority of shooting errors you have," said Staff Sgt Santiago Tordillos.
Mr Quinn says there are plans to replace the computer screen, joysticks and keypad in the remote-control unit with a Gameboy-style controller and virtual-reality goggles.
The Foster-Miller company is owned by the QinetiQ Group, a joint venture between the UK's Ministry of Defence and US-based holding company, Carlyle Group.
blueranger
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wow thats cool.. i was flying a plan once and then engine quit 5 times. so i took up flying remote control airplanes...everybody use to make fun of me but now the gov looks for remote pilots... even run tv ads...
so its about time they started using robotz.
glassman
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i spent a year racing Need For Speed on Electronic Art's internet beta site, do i qualify to run one of these babies?
blueranger
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you qualify dude
glassman
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i had a website that was linked to a target rifle... charged you per shot... i'm trying to find it now...they were even saying that they would let you shoot a staked out animal on it..no lie..
keithsan
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i remember that site G, saw it on some TV show.
You are only qualified to get shot by them while playing your puter games.
glassman
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speaking of PC games i wish they would make an XP version of DESCENT...that was a cool game....
keithsan
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i only play hold'em.
Doom was cool. I had the kill barney version which would be good now with the 18 month old.
actually Elmo would be better.
*Magnetic*Microspheres*
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I hope they designed the robots to look like arnold schwarzenegger and also armed them with catchy Terminator phrases....
keithsan
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quote:Originally posted by *Magnetic*Microspheres*: I hope they designed the robots to look like arnold schwarzenegger and also armed them with catchy Terminator phrases....
that is a great idea! how surreal.
blueranger
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I-robots (vacum cleaner maker)
already making robots for the army which were sent into caves in afghan and used on road side bombs in iraq.
DOUBLE L
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They will have to lower draft age. Get a bunch of ten year olds and the world would be ours. I worked on lasar computers for tanks. They were dropping rounds from 13 miles away and drawing pictures for us on the side of a hill. They have a business that you can hunt same idea. They set the gun up and you control it from home. They go pick up the dead deer and send it to you ups.
gmh37
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I hate Companies who don't show a Profile Its hard to find more INFO without a Profile
gmh37
Tigersharks
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So, should we hire will smith to overlook the robot project so we do not end up wiht another I-Robot incident:)
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