Pentagon To Send Robot Soldiers to Iraq

conJunk points out this AP story carried by Salon (also covered by various sources linked from Google News) "about the Pentagon's plan to send robot soldiers to Iraq in March or April. The program, Special Weapons Observation Reconnaissance Detection Systems, uses Foster-Miller TALON robots, and is said to be "years ahead of the larger Future Combat System vehicles currently under development by big defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics Corp." If it's successful, maybe our men and women in uniform will have to team up with the United Auto Workers to fight the robo-threat to their jobs." Note that (whatever other considerations you might have about such deployment), the Rules of Robotics that some readers have linked to don't really apply to remote-controlled drones, which is what these are.

Comments

obligatory.

[dop9388]

I, for one, welcome our new...oh never mind... I'll never trust a robot with a gun. It's like trusting a redneck buffoon with the presidency of the United States...oh wait...

Re:obligatory.

[I(rispee_I(reme]

I know it seems extreme, but we must be protected from the terrible secret of space.

Re:obligatory.

[mizhi]

No, "white trash" is a racist slur. Redneck is just a regional slur.

Simpson's quote:

[underpar]

The wars of the future will not be fought on the battlefield or at sea. They will be fought in space, or possibly on top of a very tall mountain. In either case, most of the actual fighting will be done by small robots. And as you go forth today remember always your duty is clear: To build and maintain those robots. Thank you.

Re:AOL Robots?

[Rob Carr]

Have the JW robots met at the front door by your electric monk. You have an answering machine to talk on the phone for you, a vcr/tivo/recorder to watch TV for you...why not an electric monk to believe things for you?

I miss Douglas Adams.

Automation

[PixelScuba]

Somehow I don't think the men and women of the armed services would really put up that much protest if their jobs in Iraq were outsourced by robots.

I can see it now

[miyako]

Just wait, they'll control these using a 1337 brigade of FPS players, then some asshat will TK our entire military presence. Shortly thereafter whatever enemy we happen to be fighting at the time will send us the gift of nukes with "pwned" spray painted on the side.

The Iraqis, for one....

[iamatlas]

I do not think that the Iraqis will welcome their new robotic overlords. Or their guns. Probably not the bullets either. In fact, I think they may get kind of pissed...

TALON online store?

[InterStellaArtois]

I have to admit, when I looked at the site detailing these robots, I did look for a 'Order', or 'View your Shopping Cart' link ...

Equipped with breaching tool, light anti-tank weapon launcher, 12-gauge shotgun and 40mm grenade launcher I must admit - for a moment I reflexively considered my available credit.

Are they controlled by SkyNet

[mslinux]

Good thing old Arnold is still around ;)

So let me get this straight...

[bechthros]

"The TALON robot can be reconfigured in the field by operators using simple pin mounted components and plug-and-play subsystems."

Just so I understand this...

We're giving automatic weapons, and license to kill, to remote-controlled robots that are not only hackable and abusable but that use PLUG'N'PLAY?!?!

I can see the future general now... "Bring me Bill Gates!"