The Pentagon has a new weapon to confront the bloody war in Iraq, which left over 1,300 dead American soldiers, the first squadron of armed robots.
After several tests, the U.S. military ordered the displacement of 18 robotic vehicles operated remote control, equipped with machine guns, wheels off, and zoom cameras with night vision binoculars, allowing them to be used both day and night and under any weather conditions.
When you begin to be used in two or three months, will become the first robot of its kind to enter battle in a long list of technology projects that the U.S. armed forces are developing to wage the battles of tomorrow with mixed armies of soldiers and war machines.
"This is the beginning of a profound transformation in our armed forces," said proud La Nacion, Anthony Sebast, associate director of the Engineering Center Army Armament and Technology in New Jersey. "This is not to create robots to replace automata our soldiers, but of supplements to enhance the effectiveness and level of survival of our troops on the ground. "
Already known as Swords (acronym for Special Weapons Systems for Observation, Recognition and Detection), armed robots are in fact an adaptation of the Talon, the machines known to deactivate bombs that the Pentagon used since 2000 in Afghanistan and Iraq.
But in this case, instead of a mechanical arm, the Swords ( "swords" in English) are mounted M240 and M249 machine guns, four cameras and a pair of binoculars night, allowing them to be used in the dark.
"The idea came from the soldiers in Afghanistan and should inspect caves without knowing what they might find inside," said La Nacion Bob Quinn, manager of the company Foster-Miller, creator of the Talon, which worked with the army for designing this new robot armed.
In comparison with the human soldiers, these robots have much better aim, and firing from a stable platform and use an electronic watch. "This eliminates most of the errors that have shot the soldiers," said Sebast, adding that the robots are capable also of traversing obstacles such as rocks, sand, deep water and not to fire. For now, the Swords, operating with a lithium battery that provides a range of four hours, can operate at a maximum distance of 800 meters of the person who commands by remote control, but is expected soon to increase the radius of action .
Is also working to alleviate the control console, which weighs 15 kilos, and replace the screen and handles currently works with a sort of virtual reality equipment, with a joystick-style electronic games, provided blinkers on with viewers. As much of the technology was already developed, the price of Swords is very reasonable for this type of weapon: about $ 200,000. The company Foster-Miller, however, think further reduce its cost.
"We are taking a very big service to our men and women in uniform to provide greater protection," noted patriotic tone Quinn, adding that since the robots were presented last weekend, has received numerous e-mails of thanks relatives of soldiers in Iraq. "I told the Marines that this invention represents an invisible suit that will allow them to move to safer ground enemy," he said.
More lethal
Most likely in the near future Swords become even more deadly for the enemy. Another deadly arsenal of weapons has already been tested and is awaiting final approval from the Pentagon. "We know we can count on the Swords to mount them on launchers, rockets and firebombs, as well as the precision weapons used by snipers," said Sebast. Beyond advances mean that this new robot, its use presents new risks.
What ensures that one of these machines do not become "crazy" and start shooting indiscriminately? What if you fall into enemy hands? Sebast acknowledged that further work is in several security features to prevent the weapon that takes the robot can be fired by mistake.
For starters, if at any time the device loses communication with its operator, it turns off and remains in "safe" without firing.
"It is important to emphasize that the Swords will never running alone, always has to be a soldier at a distance to operate. It will become murderers," said the official automata Center Armaments Engineering and Technology army. But , falling into enemy hands, the risk that the rifle being used against us are still the same as any other weapon. "
The Swords are just one of many technological projects in which the Pentagon is working to robotic battlefield. Together with Applied Perception, is developing a robot ambulance, call now Robotic Extraction Vehicle, to rid the area of combat wounded soldiers.
Moreover, with Lockheed Martin Corp. is working on combat vehicles, high speed, while the Agency Advanced Research Projects of the Department of Defense (Darpa) has prototypes of bombers, tanks and mines unmanned intelligent move the battlefield.
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