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2006-02-14 Science & Technology
Robots dying in Iraq, so soldiers don't have to
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Posted by Jackal 2006-02-14 00:00|| || Front Page|| [1 views since 2007-05-07]  Top

#1 Radical Islamists > "Now the decadent imperialist Americans insult our suicide bombers and the Prophet again by NOT fighting us mano-a-mano. Time for our women and children to blow themselves up again".
Posted by JosephMendiola 2006-02-14 00:37||   2006-02-14 00:37|| Front Page Top

#2 Um, I thought a MULE was a Multiple Use Labor Element. I guess some people don't know their computer game history. What's next? Will people forget the signifigance of the magic word xyzzy?
Posted by Eric Jablow">Eric Jablow  2006-02-14 00:40||   2006-02-14 00:40|| Front Page Top

#3 "DANGER, Guillermo Robinson! DANGER!"
Posted by Frank G">Frank G  2006-02-14 01:02||   2006-02-14 01:02|| Front Page Top

#4 It's remarkable how many supposed military experts, don't get the robots being expendable bit.
Posted by phil_b">phil_b  2006-02-14 01:03|| http://autonomousoperation.blogspot.com/]">[http://autonomousoperation.blogspot.com/]  2006-02-14 01:03|| Front Page Top

#5 we're all anthropomorphic with R2D2 and C3PO as images - the robots we'll get will only be identifiable by their glitches: "that one always pulls to the left when vaccuuming"
Posted by Frank G">Frank G  2006-02-14 01:11||   2006-02-14 01:11|| Front Page Top

#6 Amen, guys. A very effective and valuable resource to assist our great people. Especially so when expended, as designed, to leave the warriors free to do what they do best.
Posted by .com 2006-02-14 01:52||   2006-02-14 01:52|| Front Page Top

#7 As long as they are not sentient I am good with them being used. Onece they cross that threshold it's no dice.
Posted by Sock Puppet O´ Doom 2006-02-14 06:03||   2006-02-14 06:03|| Front Page Top

#8 LET MY PEOPLE GO!
Posted by Bender 2006-02-14 07:42||   2006-02-14 07:42|| Front Page Top

#9 Not satisfied with the abilities of its current crop of robots, the Pentagon wants unmanned machines that can operate completely without human controllers.
The Bersekers are comming.
Posted by gromgoru 2006-02-14 07:43||   2006-02-14 07:43|| Front Page Top

#10 The islamists are crying foul: The US bots are violating the first and second laws of robotics per isaac asimov. Hehehehe
Posted by Mark Z 2006-02-14 11:22||   2006-02-14 11:22|| Front Page Top

#11 $100,000 per flight hour
I'll bet that's because they're spreading the fixed costs R&D over the 15 or 20 of these things that exist. I'd like to know what the variable cost/hr is.
Posted by 6 2006-02-14 12:17||   2006-02-14 12:17|| Front Page Top

#12 Robots, why do they hate us?
Posted by Perfesser 2006-02-14 12:25||   2006-02-14 12:25|| Front Page Top

#13 I agree with SPOD re: the sentience threshold. Just lookit Bender, *lol*
Posted by Edward Yee 2006-02-14 12:28|| http://edwardyee.fanworks.net]">[http://edwardyee.fanworks.net]  2006-02-14 12:28|| Front Page Top

#14 "Allright, Unit DNE of the line. Why did you do it? This is your Commander, Unit DNE. Report! Why did you do it? Now, you knew your position was hopeless, didn`t you? That you`d be destroyed if you held your ground, to say nothing of advancing. Surely you were able to compute that. You were lucky to have the chance to prove yourself."

"Yes, sir."

"You knew what was at stake here. It was the ultimate test of your ability to perform correctly under stress, of your suitability as a weapon of war. You knew that. You knew that General Margrave and old Priss Grace and the press boys all had their eyes on every move you made. So instead of using common sense, you waded into that inferno in defiance of all logic-and destroyed yourself. Right?"

"That is correct, sir."

"Then why? In the name of sanity, tell me WHY! Why, instead of backing out and saving yourself, did you charge? .....Wait a minute, Unit DNE. It just dawned on me. I`ve been underestimating you. You KNEW didn`t you? Your knowledge of human psychology told you they`d break and run, didn`t it?"

"No, sir. On the contrary, I was quite certain that they were as aware as I that they held every advantage."

"Then that leaves me back where I started. Why? What made you risk everything on a hopeless attack? Why did you do it?"

"For the honor of the regiment."

The Dinochrome Brigade, reporting for duty!
Posted by Steve">Steve  2006-02-14 12:54||   2006-02-14 12:54|| Front Page Top

#15 Duty, Honor, WD-40.
Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious  2006-02-14 12:57||   2006-02-14 12:57|| Front Page Top

#16 Soon enough, you will be able to down load your entire conscience and being. Flash it over to a 'bot and presto immortality and sentience. Do'nt need no stinkin' remote either!
Posted by TomAnon 2006-02-14 13:05||   2006-02-14 13:05|| Front Page Top

#17 I'm working on an exploding frizbee. My idea is to hand launch it, but use little preprogramed compressed air jets to suspend it's flight to greater ranges. A miniature camera will send back radio images of the ground beneath the dish. When the dish hovers over the target, a signal slows, lands, and vaporizes the frizbee.
Some may say it's pie in the sky, but I think it'll work.
Posted by wxjames 2006-02-14 13:07||   2006-02-14 13:07|| Front Page Top

#18 Some day the order will be transmitted to the 'bot to go into some extremely hostile place and this is the reply: " I'm sorry, Dave, but I cannot do that."
Posted by USN, ret. 2006-02-14 14:59||   2006-02-14 14:59|| Front Page Top

#19 Well, for now they are not sentient and they are damn capable. Think of a mini tank with an M-240 mounted on top that is super-accurate.

They are not regarded as expendable because they are expensive. While that will change somewhat as quantities purchased and technology improves, the most significant units will never be cheap.
Posted by remoteman 2006-02-14 15:34||   2006-02-14 15:34|| Front Page Top

#20 Hey Remoteman! How are your products holding out?
Posted by TomAnon 2006-02-14 15:44||   2006-02-14 15:44|| Front Page Top

#21 As long as they are not sentient I am good with them being used. Onece they cross that threshold it's no dice.

Hate to break it to you SPoD, but once they are you wont' be able to do much about it ... heh.
Posted by rsrchr 2006-02-14 15:49||   2006-02-14 15:49|| Front Page Top

#22 In related news - Japan is sending several units ... piloted by teenagers with really bad attitudes and oddly colored hair.
Posted by DMFD 2006-02-14 22:53||   2006-02-14 22:53|| Front Page Top

#23 Lol, DMFD! I've wargamed against those obsessed guys - and they're into it - 24x7, lol.
Posted by .com 2006-02-14 22:55||   2006-02-14 22:55|| Front Page Top

23:55 .com
23:54 Frank G
23:51 Frank G
23:41 .com
23:38 USN Ret.
23:33 Besoeker
23:26 USN Ret.
23:24 Besoeker
23:24 3dc
23:20 .com
23:16 .com
23:15 Frank G
23:13 DMFD
23:12 .com
23:10 DMFD
23:10 .com
23:06 trailing wife
23:04 Besoeker
23:02 Besoeker
22:59 Besoeker
22:59 Frank G
22:58 Besoeker
22:58 .com
22:56 DMFD









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