Gun Toting Robots on Patrol in Iraq


	Gun Toting Robots on Patrol in Iraq

Caleythia

8-2-2007 5:26 PM

557 views

tags:

robotics, war

Caleythia says:

At least they don't look humanoid. That would be a little too Terminator for me.

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8-2-2007 7:18 PM

skwirlinator

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<div style="margin: 12px 0px; font-family: arial; color: #333333; background: #ffffff; border: solid 4px #e5e5e5; width: 100%; clear: left;"><div class="CM_CTB_Content_Wrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;background-color: #ffffff;"><div style="border-bottom: solid 1px #dcdcdc; white-space: nowrap; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: #eeeeee ;background-image: url(http://www.clipmarks.com/images/source-bg.gif); background-repeat: repeat-x; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: middle; padding-bottom: 4px; color: #666666; font-size: 10px;" ><a href="http://clipmarks.com/clip-to-blog/" title="see clips that are hot right now"><img src="http://content.clipmarks.com/blog_embed/c4288da1-7bf9-41d9-b507-37c867f13b08/BE0F1DF3-B7C7-407B-9AC4-3188CF75CE6D/" alt="" width="19" height="19" border="0" style="vertical-align: middle; margin: 0px 4px; display: inline; border: none; float:none;" /></a>clipped from <a title="http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/08/httpwwwnational.html" href="http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/08/httpwwwnational.html" style="font-size: 11px;">blog.wired.com</a></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/08/httpwwwnational.html"><P><IMG border="0" src="http://blog.wired.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/08/02/swords.jpg" alt="Swords" title="Swords" /> Robots have been roaming the streets of Iraq, since shortly after the war began.  Now, for the first time -- the first time in any warzone -- the machines are carrying guns.  </P></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/08/httpwwwnational.html"><div align="center"><img src="http://content8.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/blog.wired.com/img/62D2897C-1B5C-49D8-BA88-915FC56274D4" alt="Swords" /></div></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/08/httpwwwnational.html"><P>After years of development, three "special weapons observation remote reconnaissance direct action system" (SWORDS) robots have <A href="http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/issues/2007/August/RifleToting.htm">deployed to Iraq</A>, armed with M249 machine guns.  The 'bots "haven't fired their weapons yet," Michael Zecca, the SWORDS program manager, tells <A href="http://blog.wired.com/defense/">DANGER ROOM</A>.  "But that'll be happening soon."</P></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/08/httpwwwnational.html">Now, the SWORDS won't act on a command, unless it's received right away.  A three-part arming process -- with both physical and electronic safeties -- is required before firing.   Most importantly, the machines now come with kill switches, in case there's any odd behavior.  "So now we can kill the unit if it goes crazy," Zecca says.</blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/08/httpwwwnational.html"> only three of the robots are currently in Iraq.  Zecca says he's ready to send more, "but we don't have the money. </blockquote></div><div style="margin: 0px 6px 6px 4px;"><table style="font-size: 11px;border-spacing: 0px;padding: 0px;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tr><td style="background:transparent;border-width:0px;padding:0px;">&nbsp;</td><td align="right" style="background:transparent;border-width:0px;padding:0px;width:107px" width="107"><a href="http://clipmarks.com/share/BE0F1DF3-B7C7-407B-9AC4-3188CF75CE6D/blog/" title="blog or email this clip"><img src="http://content9.clipmarks.com/images/c2b-foot.png" border="0" alt="blog it" width="107" height="17" style="border-width:0px;padding:0px;margin:0px;" /></a></td></tr></table></div></div>

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