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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."
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.