US Army researches Terminators

[Dazaster]

The US Army is making robots to kill us all. Probably.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/video--u-s--army--terminator--robot-can-jump-and-climb-stairs-085249496.html?vp=1

 

As you can see it's pretty naked. Somebody already stole it's clothes, it's boots and it's mota-cykle. But don't worry, it'll be back.

[gunslinger6792]

Where's starbuck when you need her? All joking aside I hate the idea of replacing man with a robot when it comes to combat. It becomes to easy to kill and then there are security fears. What if someone figures out a way to hack the machines or disable them? That could be a huge portion of your armed forces disabled.

[TRoaches]

Does Atlas dream of electric sheep?

[Vagrant0]

Meh, still technologically inferior to ASMIO. The key problem with anything like that is in the power supply. Larger, heavier robots require significantly more power than smaller ones. Even in cases where a large portion of the robot's weight is in the power cells, those robots usually cannot run continuously for more than a few hours. For person sized robots or larger to be viable for combat, we would need a serious breakthrough power source. And no, graphine based capacitor cells probably wouldn't cut it.

[Gracinfields]

Well actually Atlas is using High percision actuators and high power hydrolics as well as a new advance balance system all of which were brought over from ASMIO. Atlas has a couple members of the ASMIO team on it, their idea is to use it atm for Search and Recovery while operating in enviroments to dangerous for humans to operate in. Like the Fukajima Reactor core. In the end Hopefully no AI is added but the config is used to help create Power armor. :D

Edited July 17, 2013 by Gracinfields

[Vindekarr]

Bravo! On face value he's just ideal for search and rescue-sure footed, super-human strength, infra-red vision. He's not quite a super-hero yet, but in terms of going into dangerous places like inside burning buildings/ships/crashed air planes or irradiated zones, he's really got a niche. Plus all that upper body strength means you could specialize it, like mounting a fire-extinguisher or industrial sized attachments. Powering it isn't going to be as much as an issue as you might think. We already have portable generators big enough and powerful enough to keep at least one of these guys going.

 

The other situation I can see him being great for is Navy cargo duty. Currently it's slow and dangerous work, but Atlas is perfect for the task. You don't need to pay him, he can lift a LOT, he'd be on a boat so he'd have plenty of electricity, and if you stuck some forklift tines on his arms, you'd be getting near to the Loader from Aliens. Now all you need is a PO'ed-off Sigourney Weaver, a giant alien monster, and an airlock.

[Lisnpuppy]

Does Atlas dream of electric sheep?

I am sure, somewhere, Philip K. Dick is rolling over in his grave. :biggrin:

[Vagrant0]

Well actually Atlas is using High percision actuators and high power hydrolics as well as a new advance balance system all of which were brought over from ASMIO. Atlas has a couple members of the ASMIO team on it, their idea is to use it atm for Search and Recovery while operating in enviroments to dangerous for humans to operate in. Like the Fukajima Reactor core. In the end Hopefully no AI is added but the config is used to help create Power armor. :biggrin:

Still won't work without a tether. It may have some of the same hardware, but the engineering and programming really isn't there to make it viable. As far as Loaders, we're already able to build something like that, the problem is that it just isn't economically viable to use something like that both from a production cost as well as an operating cost. You don't even need much in the way of fancy programming... Just a gyro stabilized platform with touch sensitive pneumatic controls. But wheels work better for moving around on a flat surface.

[Vindekarr]

That's a point. We have a device very much like that already, the AGV. AGVs are a type of robot, they crawl around on the ground like six-ton steel cockroaches. On their backs are huge metal frames that can lift a truck-they use them in some sorts of factory for carrying big bits of semi-finished object(including entire half-built trucks) from a to b. Some really good warehouses have them too, I actually saw one once in Melbourne. They really are like big steel cockroaches. They load themselves, move themselves, unload themselves, and even know when they need maintenance.

 

I think the rationale for the legs is mobility-wheels aren't so hot for getting up slopes, but if I were them I'd ditch the humanoid shape entirely and mount it on some ducted fans. In the motorsport world they have what's called a drift-drone, it's essentially a 400 pound flying robot with a huge high-power camera, four small ducted fans(a rotor inside a tube) and a basic AI. Drift-drones follow cars around automatically and record them, saving the need for helicopters. The CFA-Australia's fire-fighting service has something similar armed with small claws. I want to see one with and oxyacetylene cutter built in. Its a pretty simple, light-weight tool that they use for cutting through doors and stuff. Uses plasma-like a welder, but the exact opposite.

 

The other possibility would be to mount an internal combustion engine to the upper torso and use that as a generator. It wouldn't work that long, but it would be a big improvement. Just be hella noisy that's all. Australia's military designed something similar called the bulldog, it was a very large quadrupedal walking robot powered by a 6 horsepower go-kart engine mounted between it's shoulder and hip structures.

[SilverDNA]

Vin I basically can agree with your thoughts

I wish they would use their knowledge and technologies more to implement this for the disabled amputated persons.

Here a compassion to the video above of the most advanced to day prostetic knee and its features.
The Genium Knee from Otto Bock (on youtTube)

I personalty know someone who uses a Genium Knee.

I bet Hollywood next makes a movie Terminator / Drone Vs. Cyborg and I bet they will pro Cyborg.
Never the less i would be more happy if they would develop it for the disabled person rather, than for military purposes witch in direct relation produces, due combat, disabled persons and especially children are often in the thick of it and are more often the most innocent victims of war I can imagine.