big fat long link

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14806772/

http://www.dodsbir.net/SITIS/display_topic.asp?Bookmark=34565 [dodsbir.net]

This topic seeks to merge these research areas and develop a software/hardware suit that would enable a multi-robot team, together with a human operator, to search for and detect a non-cooperative human subject.

...this is the matrix and terminator!!! wow!!! I love it!!! I'm gonna be in some sort of sci-fi movie!!!

I LOVE AND WORSHIP THE POLICE!!! YAY!!!

haha cops cant even do theyre goddamn jobs anymore so they need robot help. lmao

is more effeincy in assaulting non-cooperative people really the best way to support the police force? hell, in a much shorter run, is making the forces we'd ideally send after hard-to-reach insurgent and terrorists hackable/reprogrammable really in any way bright?


also, are you REALLY going to tell me these things won't be made in china or somewhere else where the design would basterdized and used to prototype hunter/killer drones? i'm amazed at what the DOD thinks they're responcible enough to have.

Someone
iRobot last year struck a deal with Taser International to mount stun weapons on its military robots

does anyone else find it ironic that a company named "irobot" is making military robots . wtf happened to the 3 laws of robotics ???

lothar
does anyone else find it ironic that a company named "irobot" is making military robots . wtf happened to the 3 laws of robotics ???

You mean that story by Eando Binder? Heh :)

Naw... Well it wasn't Asimov that stole their cool title, it was his damn publisher.

The laws are more applicable to machines that can think... These are really just simple machines (relative to what you see in SciFi). They're really more like weapons and police equipment, but "cleverer" than guns or cars.

It's interesting that everyone seems to be assuming the worst about these things. As if the only possible reason a robot could be involved in military or police matters is if it's some kind of killer war-drone that's going to be used to overthrow society. Couldn't it just be possible that they're trying to find alternatives to having the young men and women of the police/military getting shot at on a regular basis? You know there's a lot of technology developed by the military that they just don't use because, once they actually have it, they realize it's not actually such a good idea.

Most of the stuff they already use is bad enough. ;)
But people in the military are just doing their jobs and it's not their fault they're armed with massive tanks and armoured helicopter gunships when all they're fighting against are guys with assault rifles and a few RPGs.

But because of that it's ok to think that these advanced unmanned weapons systems are a little unfair. :)

Then again, if you're the one doing the fighting, nothing's "unfair" if it prevents you and your mates from getting injured or killed.