November 20th, 2009 ::
The Laser Avenger. Cool name, terrifying technology.
The title of this post might make you wonder “So what is the weapon of choice for robots?” I think the answer is obvious – lasers. Most depictions of robots in science fiction involve the copious use of lasers. Even Michael Jackson wanted his robot to have laser eyes. So far weapon based lasers have been limited to books and movies, but DARPA and the US military are making great strides in the development of weaponized laser systems.
The Air Force Research Laboratory have conducted tests of their M.A.T.R.I.X. system (Mobile Active Targeting Resource for Integrated eXperiments) that involved a truck mounted laser shooting down unmanned drones in mid-flight. With robotic military systems being used more and more in military campaigns, how much longer will it be until autonomous robots will be armed with lasers cannons?
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October 29th, 2009 ::
Early generation military robots are already in trouble.
The first blow to robotic military systems has come at the hands of the UN. UN human rights investigator Philip Alston wants the US to explain how they decide who and what to attack with their unmanned drones. The concern is that these drone attacks lead to arbitrary executions, which are banned under international law. Drone attacks have so far been highly successful in remotely attacking targets that cannot be reached with traditional military systems, but they have also been criticized due to loss of innocent lives in their attacks and the possible violation of other nation’s sovereignty when used. The drone attacks have not stopped though, mainly due to their undisputed effectiveness. Despite that fact, is this a sign that attacks by military robots are viewed differently than attacks by human soldiers? And if so, what effect will this have towards the future of robotic warfare?
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October 16th, 2009 ::
Lieutenant General Rick Lynch, commander of the US Army’s 3rd Armor Corps, has repeated his request for robots to be added to the military operating in the Middle East. According to Lynch, of the 155 loses the 3rd Army Corps has suffered, 122 could have been prevented by the use of autonomous robots. That’s right, autonomous. He doesn’t believe drones like the Predator or Reaper or other unmanned but human controlled robotic systems will get the job done. He is a very fervent believer that a robotic army should add to or replace portions of the current military system, and he has 4 specific uses where he believes robots should be used.
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October 7th, 2009 ::
Is robotic warfare going too far?
Scientists from around the world have formed the International Committee for Robot Arms Control (ICRAC) in an attempt to influence decisions regarding the use of robots in war. Unmanned drones are commonplace in Iraq and Afghanistan, and according to ICRAC almost 50 countries either already have or are developing war robots. The committee fears that advances in robotic systems will lead to more countries committing to war, since robots would be taking the place of humans on the battlefield.
Current military robots include the Predator and Reaper air drones, as well as the Talon ground drone. All of these systems are remotely controlled by humans, but ICRAC is concerned that these drones will eventually have artificial intelligence and the ability to make the decisions its human operator now makes. » Read the rest of this entry «
