Army creating Army of Toys
Posted by Matthew on Thursday January 8, 2004 @10:40AM
from the how-many-times-do-robots-have-to-take-over-before-we-learn dept.
Matthew writes: The U.S. Army has just awarded a contract to develop a robot with the form factor of a canine that can follow soldiers into battle and carry their equipment. This development, along with a serpentine robot designed to assist with mechanical repairs, a lobster-like robot designed to search for mines, and an insect-like robot designed for remote surveillance, supports the Army’s philosophy of developing friendly seeming helper robots that lack the physical attributes necessary to enslave humanity.
Ben Krupp, president of Yobotics, explains: “Yes, we could just develop a robotic soldier instead of an array of simulated animals. But we’ve gone through the simulations a number of times here and at DARPA, and the end-game scenarios when using fully articulated multipurpose robots are—well, let’s just say that they are not good for humans.”
“The canine form factor is perfect for us, because as soon as the robot attempts to use a limb to pick up a weapon, it falls over.”