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A man-portable military robot can be carried by a single soldier,
usually in a special backpack. They are small, flat robots which
can be mounted on the miniature tank treads. These robots are tough,
able to tackle almost any terrain and usually have a variety of
sensors built in, including audio and video surveillance and chemical
detection.
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PackBot Scout is a battle-tested Unmanned Ground Vehicle
(UGV) designed for Military Operations Urban Terrain (MOUT).
This lightweight, rugged robot can be hand-carried and deployed
by a single soldier.
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Most current models look more like tanks than humans.
There are problems with threat recognition and response.
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Logistics or convoy operation
Large vehicles will follow known roadways to
military bases, carrying fuel, supplies and ammunition.
Although convoy missions will typically be on paved
roads, even the earliest autonomous trucks will
need full off-road capability in case their roads
become impassable.
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control experts
are developing the Multifunction Utility/Logistics
and Equipment (MULE) unmanned ground vehicle for
the Army's
Future Combat Systems program.
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Rescue operation
A medical version of military robot could be
sent out onto an active battlefield to provide short-term
care for wounded soldiers, without requiring a medic
to risk his life.
The
BEAR resue military robot is a marriage of three
elements: A powerful upper body controlled by hydraulics;
an agile mobility platform that features two independent
sets of tracked "legs"; and dynamic balancing behavior
- the capability of the robot to balance itself
while on the balls of its "ankles".
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Bomb disposal
Walking through minefields, deactivating unexploded
bombs or clearing out hostile buildings.
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Firefighting/decontamination
Firefighting/decontamination military robots
equipped with a pan-and-tilt nozzle and carry their
own supply of foam retardant or decontaminant in
a tank. A nozzle can also be mounted on a mechanical
arm for very precise aiming.
Photo: The
Firemote is a remote vehicle that can be connected
to a fire appliance hose reel or water hydrant and
sent into dangerous areas to fight fires.
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All-purposes
Larger military robots are basically trucks or
tanks with computers in them, operated by remote
control. The can handle many heavy-duty tasks, such
as clearing out explosives with a mechanical arm,
clearing and cutting obstacles down with a plow
blade or a giant cutter, pulling disabled vehicles
(up to and including buses), hauling cargo in a
trailer and serving as a weapons platform. These
robots can roll along with a mine-sweeper attached
to the front, clearing a field of anti-personnel
mines before any humans have to walk there.
Photo: The All-Purpose Remote Transport System
(ARTS), is a military robot developed by the
AFRL Materils and Manufacturing Directorate
to protect the war fighter from hazardous situation.
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Reconnaissance missions
Highly maneuverable robot vehicles could also
be used for dangerous advance reconnaissance missions,
venturing into enemy territory to send back images
and data.
Photo:
Foster-Miller TALON SWORDS military robots equipped
with various weaponry.
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Robot sentries
It operates under the control of a human (although
it can be set to a random, patrol mode) and it carries
"non-lethal" weaponry, such as the PepperBall system
that fires pepper-filled plastic balls that break
open on contact.
Photo: CyberGuard SR3/ESP by
cybermotion
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"Marsupial" battlefield robots
Under development that could carry smaller robots
that would be deployed to enter bunkers or similar
structures if the "mother" robot was too big to
fit.
Photo: The MDARS-E carrying URBOT in marsupial
mode
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Unmanned Predators like the Predator drone, which are
capable of taking surveillance photographs, and even accurately
launching missiles at ground targets, without a pilot.
The photo shown is the Predator UAV MQ-1 Hunter/Killer
carries the Multispectral Targeting System (MTS) and two
Hellfire missiles.
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Military scientists are developing robot flies that can
be sent in swarms to spy out enemy positions. Unlike conventional
unmanned air vehicles (UAVs), tiny robot flies could operate
in confined and cluttered spaces within buildings, stairwells,
tunnels or caves. There is a possibility for using the robots
to deliver small explosive charges. They would be then the
ultimate "smart" weapon, able to destroy a specific target
- such as a computer - without having to bomb whole facilities.
The photo on the right is a flying robot from Honeywell
which has two cameras that deliver live video feeds to U.S.
soldiers on the ground.
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Although the military robots are designed primarily for
use by military forces, they have civilian uses as well.
For examples, law enforcement agencies use robots to disarm
or detonate explosives, fire fighters send robots to rescue
lives and so on.
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