Military Robots

Part 1: The ABCs of War Bots

GOOD — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 06:51:22 PST

Technological developments have enabled the evolution of warfare from cavemen bludgeoning each other with blunt objects to career soldiers detonating explosives from miles away. What's next on the battlefields of the future? Military robots are rolling, flying, and swimming into conflict zones, aiding and protecting their human counterparts. We take a closer look at these robo-warriors in our new series, "Military Robots."

Continued in Part 2, "Soldiers and Their Bots."

Part 2: Soldiers and Their Bots

GOOD — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 06:50:03 PST

Unlike soldiers, robots can take the worst of a bomb blast and survive to see another battle. So when an explosive needs to be detonated, the military sends in Talon, a one-machine robotic bomb squad. With so many lives saved thanks to Talon's skills, it's little wonder that the bond between soldiers and their robot is so strong.

Continued in Part 3, "The Overcrowded Skies."

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Foster-Miller, Inc.

Part 3: The Overcrowded Skies

GOOD — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 06:49:44 PST

There's a problem brewing over the skies of Iraq, and it's not weather related. Thanks to a new generation of cheaper, smaller robots, Iraqi airspace is now filled almost to capacity with unmanned aerial vehicles. These radio-controlled planes give the armed forces unprecedented powers of surveillance, but how will the military respond to the dangerous traffic nightmare overhead?

Continued in Part 4, "Rescue Bots of the Future."

Part 4: Rescue Bots of the Future

GOOD — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 06:48:19 PST

Not only are robots being used for military offensives, but they are also being deployed to rescue wounded soldiers. These robot medics can evacuate downed servicemen from situations too dangerous for normal reconnaissance missions. Rescue bots, most of which are still in the development phase, ensure no man is left behind, without endangering additional soldiers.

Continued in Part 5, "Legs With Brains."

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Visual Eyes; Vecna Technologies, Inc.

Part 5: Legs With Brains

GOOD — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 06:47:52 PST

Robots are assisting soldiers both on the battlefield and off. Some 30,000 men and women have lost limbs over the course of the conflict in Iraq, and the latest in prosthetic technology is helping them readjust to normal life. These cutting edge prostheses are equipped with robotic joints and computer chips that more accurately simulate actual limbs.

Continued in Part 6, "A God's Eye View."

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Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Walter Reed Army Hospital

Part 6: A God's Eye View

GOOD — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 06:46:12 PST

The capture of the U2 spy plane pilot Gary Powers was one of the tensest incidents of the Cold War. In modern warfare, high-flying surveillance planes are now totally unmanned, taking espionage literally to new heights. While these robotic drones are good news for the military, they have civil rights activists concerned; could these spy planes be used domestically?

Continued in Part 7, "When War Becomes A Video Game."

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Northrup Grumman Corporation

Part 7: When War Becomes A Video Game

GOOD — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 06:45:10 PST

We've learned about robots that spy, rescue, aid, survey, and defuse. In the final episode of our "Military Robots" series, we encounter robots that kill. Robots equipped with missiles and guns are a relatively new development, one that raises a host of ethical questions. In the wars of the future, will the killing of humans be left entirely to machines?

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Foster-Miller, Inc.