Military Researchers Develop Corpse-Eating Robots

[Penguin]

Heres the previous thread on robots of war - The Drone Wars
http://www.rigorousintuition.ca/board/v ... hp?t=23535

If you want to read the single most chilling line yet uttered about drone warfare American-style, it comes at the end of Christopher Drew's piece. He quotes Brookings Institution analyst Peter Singer saying of our Predators and Reapers: "[T]hese systems today are very much Model T Fords. These things will only get more advanced."

http://robotcentral.com/2009/01/01/robo ... this-fall/

Northrop Grumman unveiled the first of two aircraft of an unmanned combat air system (UCAS) during a ceremony for Navy officials, state and local government representatives, suppliers and Northrop Grumman employees. The aircraft represents a milestone in the progress toward the development of an autonomous combat aircraft designed to be deployed from the deck of an aircraft carrier.

“Unveiling the first X-47B UCAS aircraft signals a sea change in military aviation, made possible through the Navy’s vision and leadership,” said Scott Winship, Northrop Grumman vice president and Navy UCAS program manager. “I’m extremely proud of the Northrop Grumman-led industry team for its tireless dedication and hard work accomplishing this important milestone.”

The X-47B also aims to be a force-multiplier for aircraft carriers.

“The X-47B will demonstrate how unmanned combat aircraft can operate from aircraft carriers and is a necessary first step toward extending the aircraft carrier’s reach and power projection from anywhere in the world,” said Capt. Martin Deppe, the U.S. Navy Unmanned Combat Aircraft System Program Manager. “We look forward to a time when we can introduce a new long range, persistent, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) — strike capability to the carrier decks of tomorrow.”

In August of 2007, the U.S. Navy awarded Northrop Grumman a six-year, $635.8 million contract to conduct the first ever at-sea carrier launches and recoveries with a fixed-wing unmanned air system (UAS). Northrop made a commitment to fly by Fall of 2009. Northrop Grumman reaffirmed its commitment in a recent press release.

Sources:
http://www.irconnect.com/noc/press/page ... l?d=156493
http://www.irconnect.com/noc/press/page ... l?d=124333
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/12/k ... ne-re.html

This project is supposed to lead into a truly autonomous murder system, capable of taking off, flying to target area, bombing, and returning and landing by itself.

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http://robots.net/article/766.html

DARPA has approved a research contract with Iconsystems Corporation for the development of swarm intelligence software. As part of the contract the software will be tested using a real swarm of 120 autonomous mobile robots. It is hoped that useful complex behaviour will emerge in the swarm when simple rules are carried out by each robot; much like the complex behavior of ants emerges from simple actions of each individual ant. For more details see the Icosystems' press release or today's NewScientist.com story.
http://www.icosystems.com/releases/DARPA_210403.htm
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99993661

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http://gizmodo.com/5160863/big-dog-army ... ar-forever

If you were freaked out by the spooky Big Dog quadruped robot, you are going to love seeing it in action alongside US Army soldiers, following them like a smart giant dog.

And that's what it is: A really smart giant dog. Big Dog—which is being developed by robotics company Boston Dynamics—has some of the most advanced artificial intelligence and navigation systems in the planet. In fact, US Army officials are stunned by its programmed behaviors, which make Big Dog extremely helpful in the battlefield.

[AlienSpaceBat]

Waste not want not. Will the robots extract the gold dental fillings and remove wedding rings first, or s**t them out?

That was kind of my thought as well.

Presumably as they scuttle through the battlescape they will leave behind a trail of bars of soap and lampshades with tattoos on them ...

[Ben D]

FWIW...

Important Message Concerning EATR (This is a pdf link for this press release.)

PRESS RELEASE

Cyclone Power Technologies Responds to Rumors about “Flesh Eating” Military Robot

POMPANO BEACH, FL, July 16, 2009. In response to rumors circulating the internet on sites such as FoxNews.com, FastCompany.com and CNET
News about a “flesh eating” robot project, Cyclone Power
Technologies Inc. (Pink Sheets: CYPW) and Robotic Technology Inc. (RTI) would like to set the record straight: This robot is strictly vegetarian.

On July 7, Cyclone announced that it had completed the first stage of development for a beta biomass engine system used to power RTI’s Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot (EATR™), a Phase II SBIR project sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Defense Sciences Office. RTI’s EATR is an autonomous robotic platform able to perform long-range, long-endurance missions without the need for manual or conventional re-fueling.

RTI’s patent pending robotic system will be able to find, ingest and extract energy from biomass in the environment. Despite the far-reaching reports that this includes “human bodies,” the public can be assured that the engine Cyclone has developed to power the EATR runs on fuel no scarier than twigs, grass clippings and wood chips – small, plant-based items for which RTI’s robotic technology is designed to forage. Desecration of the dead is a war crime under Article 15 of the Geneva Conventions, and is certainly not something sanctioned by DARPA, Cyclone or RTI.

“We completely understand the public’s concern about futuristic robots feeding on the human population, but that is not our mission,” stated Harry Schoell, Cyclone’s CEO. “We are focused on demonstrating that our engines can create usable, green power from plentiful, renewable plant matter. The commercial applications alone for this earth-friendly energy solution are enormous.”
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Here is the original press release....

http://www.robotictechnologyinc.com/index.php/EATR

ENERGETICALLY AUTONOMOUS TACTICAL ROBOT (EATR) PROJECT

We originated the concept of the EATR in 2003 and the project was sponsored as a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project by an agency of the Department of Defense..

The purpose of the Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot (EATR)™ (patent pending) project is to develop and demonstrate an autonomous robotic platform able to perform long-range, long-endurance missions without the need for manual or conventional re-fueling, which would otherwise preclude the ability of the robot to perform such missions. The system obtains its energy by foraging – engaging in biologically-inspired, organism-like, energy-harvesting behavior which is the equivalent of eating. It can find, ingest, and extract energy from biomass in the environment (and other organically-based energy sources), as well as use conventional and alternative fuels (such as gasoline, heavy fuel, kerosene, diesel, propane, coal, cooking oil, and solar) when suitable.

This demonstration project can lead to three potential Phase III commercialization projects: (1) the development of prototype and operational EATR™ systems for military and civil applications; (2) new civil and military applications for the autonomous intelligent control system; and (3) development of the hybrid external combustion engine system for civil and military automotive applications, whether for manned or unmanned vehicles.

[anothershamus]

Imagine a whole platoon of these smartbots coming across the battlefield! Cute and cuddly?