MAARS Robot armed for war

[Tigersoap]

During the early days of the Iraq war, the roboteers at Foster-Miller modified their bomb-disposal machines, to have them carry machine guns, grenade launchers, or rockets.

After years of safety testing and modifications, three of these deadly SWORDS ("special weapons observation remote reconnaissance direct action system") robots were recently sent to Iraq.

But even now, safety concerns (among other reasons) have kept those machines from firing a shot in combat. But Foster-Miller is already rolling a new model of armed robot -- one that's comes with additional extra, built-in precautions, and has been designed from the beginning to fight.

MAARS (Modular Advanced Armed Robotic System) features new software controls, which allow the robot's driver to select fire and no-fire zones. The idea is keep the robots from accidentally shooting a flesh-and-blood American. A mechanical range fan also keeps MAARS' gun pointed away from friendly positions.

The robot is also equipped with a GPS transmitter, so it can be seen on -- and tap into -- the American battlefield mapping programs, just like tanks and Humvees. These "Blue Force Trackers" have been credited with dramatically reducing friendly-fire incidents during the Iraq war. MAARS comes with an extra fail-safe, which won't allow it to fire directly at its own control unit.

Nor does the robot always have to carry a gun. A mechanical arm can be swapped "in a couple of minutes" for the weapon, according to MARRS program manager Charles Dean, a retired Army Lt. Colonel. Which means the robot could be used for "inspecting IEDs, opening doors, even dragging casualties."

The tracks can also be removed, and changed out for wheels; better for urban operations, perhaps. Combined with a lower center of gravity, Dean believes the MAARS will be about 50% faster than its predecessors, which rumbled over streets at 5 miles per hour.

There is a video of the "beast" in action at the following link

_http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/10/tt-tt.html


What can I say...Irak today, tomorrow the world.

 

[GRiM]

What can I say...Irak today, tomorrow the world.

How surreal if they were deployed in some American city after some accident or other incident. Trust your life to a targeting algorithm. Boggles the mind.

If there are a high level of civilian casualties now in Iraq, I can only guess what will happend when they view "the enemy" via a 1024x768 screen... Everyone will look like a 'enemy' or 'hostile'.

 

[mongo]

Heh, its like the real life version of Skynet...and just like in the Terminator movies this will end badly. More civilian meat for Bush's massive grinder.

 

[Tigersoap]

How surreal if they were deployed in some American city after some accident or other incident. Trust your life to a targeting algorithm. Boggles the mind.

Surreal is the word I was looking for.
I almost can't believe this will be used at all.
I go blank when I try to figure out what "things" they have in store and that we haven't heard about.

 

[dant]

All of this reminds me of RoboCop! Terminator is a bit more
futuristic, Time travel and Cyborg based at first and then morphed
into 'something else' that is more fluid, and we will probably never
see that in real life ;)

As for 'robots' (and not cyborgs), they are getting there...
a little more tweaking here and there... osis.

 

[GRiM]

All of this reminds me of RoboCop! Terminator is a bit more
futuristic, Time travel and Cyborg based at first and then morphed
into 'something else' that is more fluid, and we will probably never
see that in real life ;)

As for 'robots' (and not cyborgs), they are getting there...
a little more tweaking here and there... osis.

[Mr. Kinney points a pistol at ED-209]
ED-209: [menacingly] Please put down your weapon. You have 20 seconds to comply.
Dick Jones: I think you better do as he says, Mr. Kinney.
[Mr. Kinney drops the pistol on the floor]
Dick Jones: [Mr. Kinney drops the pistol on the floor, but ED-209 advances, growling]
ED-209: You now have 15 seconds to comply.
[Mr. Kinney turns to Dick Jones, who looks nervous]
ED-209: You have 10 seconds to comply.
[Entire room of people in full panic trying to stay out of the line of fire, especially Mr. Kinney]
Kinney: Help me!
ED-209: You have 5 seconds to comply... four... three... two... one... I am now authorized to use physical force!
[ED-209 opens fire and shreds Mr. Kinney]

 

[Kesdjan]

Or worse....
[Mr. Kinney points a pistol at ED-209]
ED-209: [menacingly] Please put down your weapon. You have 20 seconds to comply.
Dick Jones: I think you better do as he says, Mr. Kinney.
[Mr. Kinney drops the pistol on the floor]
Dick Jones: [Mr. Kinney drops the pistol on the floor, but ED-209 advances, growling]
ED-209: You now have 15 seconds to comply.
[Mr. Kinney turns to Dick Jones, who looks nervous]
ED-209: You have 10 seconds to comply.
[Entire room of people in full panic trying to stay out of the line of fire, especially Mr. Kinney]
[Kinney throws down his handgun.]
ED-209: You have 5 seconds to comply... four... three... two... one... I am now authorized to use physical force!
[ED-209 opens fire and shreds Mr. Kinney]
Psychpath to investors: Don't worry about that little bug, it will be fixed before going on the market (wink).
Note: This is not happening in the movie, but it may be a plausabile scenario.