I know it's already been mentioned how having an all-robot military would affect the policy makers directing the military, but what about the other parties involved in war?
If you were part of a nation's Coast Guard and saw numerous amphibious robots take a beach, would you feel encouraged to attack the robots knowing that there's no human cost to reducing robots to a scrap heap?
And as the remote pilot of an invading robot force, can you expect to gain sympathy from the civilians of the country you're invading?
Congratulations to Burt and Scaled Composites for a successful flight. While I was watching the NASA TV coverage, I was thinking of the ramifications this flight might have on the cost of sending cargo up to space.
Right now, it costs ~$20,000 to send 1 lb. up to GEO. It would be interesting if a White Knight/SpaceShip One-like delivery system could send cargo up for a fraction of the current price.
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I know it's already been mentioned how having an all-robot military would affect the policy makers directing the military, but what about the other parties involved in war? If you were part of a nation's Coast Guard and saw numerous amphibious robots take a beach, would you feel encouraged to attack the robots knowing that there's no human cost to reducing robots to a scrap heap? And as the remote pilot of an invading robot force, can you expect to gain sympathy from the civilians of the country you're invading?
Congratulations to Burt and Scaled Composites for a successful flight. While I was watching the NASA TV coverage, I was thinking of the ramifications this flight might have on the cost of sending cargo up to space. Right now, it costs ~$20,000 to send 1 lb. up to GEO. It would be interesting if a White Knight/SpaceShip One-like delivery system could send cargo up for a fraction of the current price.