Man-portable military robot |
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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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Autonomous Ground Vehicles (UGV) |
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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 aerial vehicles or unmanned aerial vehicles |
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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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Robot Flies |
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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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Beyond Military Application |
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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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