Army Unmanned Ground Vehicles
The use of robots by the U.S. military in conflict areas has increased tremendously in recent years. Robots are now being designed to seek out and disarm roadside bombs and explosives.- In 2004 the U.S. military had 150 robots in Iraq and Afghanistan.
- $1.7 billion on ground-based robots between 2006 and 2012, up from $100 million in 2004.
- The latest addition to the U.S. robotic arsenal is Fido, a bomb-sniffing robot designed to seek out roadside bombs.
- Also current robots experience mobility issues, getting trapped or stopped by barriers or steep grades.
- These problems aside, it's clear the robots are saving lives.
- Host of issues surrounding the development of robots for use in combat areas and laid out a roadmap for research and development of the necessary robotic technologies.
- Placing special emphasis on the need to develop robots with greater autonomy.
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