Photos MAARS Robot, Packed With Power
There are no moving parts (besides the bullet) and multiple bullets fit into a single gun barrel, letting the gunner fire much faster than traditional firearms. Metal Storm claims their weapons can fire (theoretically) up to a million rounds a minute. While Foster-Miller might lack an exotic firing mechanism, their robots still pack plenty of fire power. Their latest MAARS (Modular Advanced Armed Robotic System) robots can carry anything from pepper spray and laser dazzlers to 40-mm grenade launcher or a M240B medium machine gun. Foster-Miller delivered their 2,000th war bot to the military earlier this month. Perhaps even more important than weaponry is durability. "[The robots] can take a beating," said Robert Quinn, an engineer at Foster-Miller. "Some of our robots have been blown up 10, even 15 times, and they still work." If a warrior robot is damaged in battle, the military has a system in place to repair them. A network of seven robot hospitals in Iraq and Afghanistan keeps wounded war bots healthy. Robot warriors might be armed, sent into battle, and even wounded like humans, but they lack the most important aspect of a warrior (and for doomsday scenarios): intelligence. All of the robots are controlled remotely by human soldiers to keep their comrades safe in threatening situations. There is no artificial intelligence on board. "Our soldiers know when they are facing a threatening situation," said Quinn. "In those circumstances they would like to send a robot instead of a human so the humans can remain safe." "This is trying to give a team of soldiers a 'tenth man' that is expendable to enemy fire," said Quinn. Related Links: Eric Bland's blog: Interior Design |
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