Killer Robots

[MixedPlateBroker]

Perhaps it's another case of too little too late, but the Army has recently authorized the purchase of 80 remote-controlled machine gun-armed combat robots. Impressive video on the latter link.

I'm sure the ethicists will have a field day with this one. But they may not have much to worry about considering the current administration's track record with body armor, Humvee armor and RPG defense.

[adrian]

Re: Killer Robots

My brother was in the FIRST robotics competition, and I just imagined geeks/nerds ruling the world with their robots.

(well, I guess I'll be among the people ruling LOL)

[MixedPlateBroker]

Re: Killer Robots

It's been proposed (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/04/13/i_robowarrior/) that combat robots should not be used to deactivate human combatants. I know what Isaac Asimov would say. What are your thoughts?

[cynsaligia]

Re: Killer Robots

It's been proposed (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/04/13/i_robowarrior/) that combat robots should not be used to deactivate human combatants. I know what Isaac Asimov would say. What are your thoughts?

my first thought: terminator!

my second thought: i said that after i hit "submit" on my "what's for dinner" post, i'd go cook our dinner, but here i am, looking at your killer robot post. so it's your fault if we're hungry longer than we need to be. (pls ignore that i'd said i'd get dinner started several times in the last hour.)

my third thought: once i get dinner going, aaaah'll be baaaack...to goof around some more on HT, motoringfile, and maybe do some of my online biology homework.

*runs to cook creamed tuna*

[helen]

Re: Killer Robots

Looking through the Youtube video that was mentioned in this thread, the robots shown in the video are remotely controlled by humans. They don't act on their own.

[808shooter]

Re: Killer Robots

It's been proposed (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/04/13/i_robowarrior/) that combat robots should not be used to deactivate human combatants. I know what Isaac Asimov would say. What are your thoughts?

self aware, independent killer robots shouldn't play a direct role in killing people but for the foreseeable future, the killer robots will be nothing more than proxies for humans with joysticks half a world away.

The next gen global hawks will be just the start. I've read that the current generation of fighter pilots are the last our country will ever see. From now on it'll be remote, virtual fighter piloting with drones pulling 25g's.

[MixedPlateBroker]

Re: Killer Robots

Better to iron out the rules of robotic warfare while the machines are still in the drone stage of evolution. If you've been following DARPA's autonomous robotic vehicle competition, you realize we could be only a few years away from fully-autonomous killbots. RFID and GPS chips could conceivably quell friendly fire concerns. Visual profiles for enemy machine guns, RPG launchers and other weapons could be entered into a database to aid targeting. Could be the biggest jump in battle tech since the invention of the tank.