Military Robots to Gain Advanced Sight

coondoggie brings us a NetworkWorld report discussing iRobot's plans to include Laser Radar technology in their military robots. Quoting: "Specifically the robot-maker is licensing Advanced Scientific Concepts' 3-D flash Ladar which uses laser beams to scan and process targets. The system has the ability to create a virtual 3D picture of an entire area. IRobot ... believes the technology will provide new navigation and mapping capabilities for future generations of robots and unmanned ground vehicles and pave the way for autonomous vehicles to lead convoys into dangerous territory, search contaminated buildings for casualties, or enable bomb squads to safely investigate suspicious objects."

Comments

Re:Seeing Victory

[rucs_hack]

Oh, yeah, complaining about wasting our money on war is just "flamebait"

Lose money? Ha.

The US made buckets of money in WW2 for example, it emerged as a world superpower as a result, with more money than a thing with lots of money. Wars require resources that have to be manufactured. Manufacturing those goods makes the companies money, and people get jobs, which gives them money. This helps the economy grow.

I'm not especially pro war, as in you wouldn't catch me joining up, but I am aware of the economic benefits it can bring.

The only time it doesn't is if your country is pwned. Even then its no all bad.

Japan has no military force beyond that required for self defence, and a small navy. That saves them a lot, and they got tons of money from the US post war to rebuild. Same for Germany. Its rebuilding was pretty much funded by the US. Same for the UK, which rebuilt using American money. The resultant trade links and diplomatic relationships have served the US well over the years.

Now the US is pouring money into Afganistan and Iraq. Tht might not be so good for the US fiscally right now, but it may pay off eventually.

Re:Finally, ASC downsizes their LIDAR. Right answe

[vectra14]

I, too, worked on the grand/urban challenges. At one of the post-competition conferences Ibeo (owned by SICK) claimed that they would be able to produce their 4-beam LIDARS (with builtin target tracking that works semi-OK in highway-type scenarios) for $300 by two years time. Of course the Ibeo ALASCAs and such still have moving parts and work in only specific situations, but they're getting pretty good.. or at least better.

Having said that, a *huge* problem with LIDARS (like RADARs or any other active sensors) in a military environment is that carrying a LIDAR is the same as carrying a homing device for any basic IR-targeted bomb/missile.

"Where's that convoy, Sam?"
"Put on your IR goggles and look for the huge disco light in the middle of the desert, Bob!"
"Wow, Sam, thats WICKED!"

So I'm not sure how they're addressing that, or if they're hoping for an application niche that doesn't deal with being shot at altogether.

Re:Seeing Victory

[TubeSteak]

The US made buckets of money in WW2 for example, it emerged as a world superpower as a result, with more money than a thing with lots of money. Wars require resources that have to be manufactured. Manufacturing those goods makes the companies money, and people get jobs, which gives them money. This helps the economy grow.
...
Now the US is pouring money into Afganistan and Iraq. Tht might not be so good for the US fiscally right now, but it may pay off eventually. You seem to be glossing over the enourmous increases in National Debt that have gone hand in hand with every major military action starting with WWI.
WWI jumped the national debt from ~3 billion to ~25 billion
WWII ballooned the national debt even further to ~260 billion
The USA never payed off all the debt accumulated in WWII & it has only gone up since.
To claim that Afghanistan and Iraq might pay off in the future is delusional at best.

Yes, War grows the economy, but you'd have to be blind not to see that the economy is mortgaged to the hilt because of it.

Re:Seeing Victory

[Dun Malg]

The US went through a serious recession for several years after victory in WWII. Bullcrap. You don't know jack shit about the history of the US economy, obviously. The 1945 recession lasted 8 months, and was little more than an adjustment of the economy from wartime mobilization. There wasn't another recession until 1948, and it only lasted 11 months. In fact, the average length of the recessions since WW2 ended has been 10 months. Hell, before WW2 the average length was 18 months. The only US recession that could be even remotely said to have lasted "several years" was the Great Depression (43 months).

It went through another one after defeat in Vietnam. Yes, the 1973 oil crisis, 16 months. Only partly caused by war spending.

Really, the rest of your point is rendered moot because all your supporting evidence is nonsense.