Artificial Soldier

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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  US Mechatronics has produced a working automated sentry gun and is currently developing it further for commercial and military use.
  
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  MIDARS, a four-wheeled robot outfitted with several cameras, radar, and possibly a firearm, that automatically performs random or preprogrammed patrols around a military base or other government installation. It alerts a human overseer when it detects movement in unauthorized areas, or other programmed conditions. The operator can then instruct the robot to ignore the event, or take over remote control to deal with an intruder, or to get better camera views of an emergency. The robot would also regularly scan radio frequency identification tags (RFID) placed on stored inventory as it passed and report any missing items.
  
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  Tactical Autonomous Combatant (TAC) units, described in Project Alpha study 'Unmanned Effects: Taking the Human out of the Loop' -
  
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  Autonomous Rotorcraft Sniper System is an experimental robotic weapons system being developed by the U.S. Army since 2005.^[5][6] It consists of a remotely operated sniper rifle attached to an unmanned autonomous helicopter.^[7] It is intended for use in urban combat or for several other missions requiring snipers.^[8] Flight tests are scheduled to begin in Summer 2009.^[5]
  
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  The "Mobile Autonomous Robot Software" research program was started in December 2003 by the Pentagon who purchased 15 Segways in an attempt to develop more advanced military robots.^[9] The program was part of a $26 million Pentagon program to develop software for autonomous systems.^[9]
  

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  ARV
  
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  ACER
  
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  ARTS
  
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  BigDog
  
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  Dassault nEUROn
  
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  Dragon Runner
  
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  MATILDA
  
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  MULE
  
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  R-Gator
  
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  Ripsaw MS1 [1]
  
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  RAAS
  
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  SUGV
  
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  Syrano
  
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  Train Cable UAV (TCUAV) Is a combination of three concepts :Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAVs), Unmanned ground vehicle (UGVs), Train.
  
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  iRobot Warrior
  
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  Excalibur unmanned aerial vehicle
  
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  Nöbetçi, Turkish Border Patrol Unit
  

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  DRDO Daksh
  
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  Goalkeeper CIWS
  
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  Guardium ^[10]
  
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  PackBot
  
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  MARCbot
  
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  RQ-9 Predator B
  
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  RQ-1 Predator
  
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  TALON
  
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  Samsung SGR-A1 ^[11]
  
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  Gladiator Tactical Unmanned Ground Vehicle (used by the United States Marine Corps)
  

Major Kenneth Rose of the US Army's Training and Doctrine Command outlined some of the advantages in robotic technology in warfare:^[12] "Machines don't get tired. They don't close their eyes. They don't hide under trees when it rains and they don't talk to their buddies ... A human's attention to detail on guard duty drops dramatically in the first 30 minutes ... Machines know no fear." Increasing attention is also paid to how to make the robots more autonomous, with a view of eventually allowing them to operate on their own for extended periods of time, possibly behind enemy lines. For such functions, systems like the Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot are being tried, which is intended to gain its own energy by foraging for plant matter.

In 2009, academics and technical experts attended a conference to discuss the impact of the hypothetical possibility that robots and computers could become self-sufficient and able to make their own decisions. They discussed the possibility and the extent to which computers and robots might be able to acquire any level of autonomy, and to what degree they could use such abilities to possibly pose any threat or hazard. They noted that some robots have acquired various forms of semi-autonomy, including being able to find power sources on their own and being able to independently choose targets to attack with weapons. They also noted that some computer viruses can evade elimination and have achieved "cockroach intelligence." They noted that self-awareness as depicted in science-fiction is probably unlikely, but that there were other potential hazards and pitfalls.^[13] Some experts and academics have questioned the use of robots for military combat, especially when such robots are given some degree of autonomous functions.^[14] The US Navy has funded a report which indicates that as military robots become more complex, there should be greater attention to implications of their ability to make autonomous decisions.^[15][16]

See also

Robotics portal

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  Robot combat
  
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  Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle
  
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  Powered armor
  
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  Network-centric warfare
  
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  Mecha
  
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  Roboethics
  
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  Three laws of robotics
  

1. 
   ^ Steve Coll, Ghost Wars (Penguin, 2005 edn), pp.529 and 658 note 6.
   
2. 
   ^ Robots and Robotics at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific
   
3. 
   ^ DARPA Grand Challenge: Home
   
4. 
   ^ Technology Review: The Ascent of the Robotic Attack Jet
   
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   ^ ^{a b} Page, Lewis (21 April 2009). "Flying-rifle robocopter: Hovering sniper backup for US troops". The Register. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/04/21/arss_hover_sniper/. Retrieved 2009-04-21. 
   
6. 
   ^ "U.S. Army Tests Flying Robot Sniper". Fox News. 2009-04-22. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517481,00.html. Retrieved 2009-04-23. 
   
7. 
   ^ Hambling, David (May 2009). "UAV Helicopter Brings Finesse to Airstrikes". Popular Mechanics. http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military_law/4313331.html. Retrieved 2009-04-21. 
   
8. 
   ^ Hambling, David (April 21, 2009). "Army Tests Flying Robo-Sniper". Wired, "Danger Room" blog. http://blog.wired.com/defense/2009/04/army-tests-new.html#more. Retrieved 2009-04-21. 
   
9. 
   ^ ^{a b} "Military wants to transform Segway scooters into robots". seattlepi.com. 2003-12-02. http://www.seattlepi.com/business/150662_segway02.html. Retrieved 2009-04-24. 
   
10. 
    ^ Guardium Military robot
    
11. 
    ^ Korean gun bots theregister.co.uk
    
12. 
    ^ "Robot soldiers". BBC News. 2002-04-12. http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/teachers/citizenship_11_14/subject_areas/scientific_development/newsid_1923000/1923299.stm. Retrieved 2010-05-12. 
    
13. 
    ^ Scientists Worry Machines May Outsmart Man By JOHN MARKOFF, NY Times, July 26, 2009.
    
14. 
    ^ Call for debate on killer robots, By Jason Palmer, Science and technology reporter, BBC News, 8/3/09.
    
15. 
    ^ New Navy-funded Report Warns of War Robots Going "Terminator", by Jason Mick (Blog), dailytech.com, February 17, 2009.
    
16. 
    ^ Navy report warns of robot uprising, suggests a strong moral compass, by Joseph L. Flatley engadget.com, Feb 18th 2009.
    

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  "Biomass military robot in development"
  
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  EATR: Energetically Autonmous Tactical Robot - Phase II Project
  

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  United States Joint Forces Command website: "Leading the transformation of the U.S. military"
  
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  irobot.com, builder of the PackBot and the R-Gator systems
  
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  Boston Dynamics, builder of BigDog
  

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  USJFC: 'Robotics to play major role in future warfighting'
  
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  "War robots still in Iraq", DailyTech, April 17, 2008
  
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  New Model Army Soldier Rolls Closer to Battle (SWORDS)
  
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  TALON Small Mobile Robot
  
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  TWG Military Robots
  
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  Carnegie Mellon University's snooping robot going to Iraq
  
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  PackBot Battlefield robotic Platform
  
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  Miniature Unmanned Aerial Systems - UAV
  
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  Guardium Autonomous Security Vehicle
  
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  Unmanned Ground Systems from Israel
  
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  High-Tech Military in Due Course
  
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  Launching a new kind of warfare
  
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  Gerry J. Gilmore (January 24, 2006). "Army's Veteran Bomb-Disposal Robot Now 'Packs Heat'". American Forces Press Service. http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=14536. Retrieved 2008-02-02. 
  

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  Interviews on ethical and legal aspects of Robotic Combat Systems
  

The combat version of the Foster-Miller TALON, SWORDS. XM1219 Armed Robotic Vehicle-Assault-Light (ARV-A-L) based on the MULE Vehicle. Foster-Miller TALON SWORDS units equipped with various weaponry.