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The introduction of robotics technology has transformed the military and defence sector globally. In today's globalized world, robots in the military can perform various combat roles, including rescue tasks, explosive disarmament, fire support, reconnaissance, logistics support, lethal combat duties, and much more. The global military and defence robotics market show a lot of potential for new applications to have a competitive edge over conventional warfare capabilities. The Governments have started investing millions of dollars into robotics for accelerating military applications. Military robots can provide a backup during heavy artillery fire and lower the number of casualties. But are things always as easy as that sounds? This article features terrifying tales of the top 10 scary military robots that are in use.
The Modular Advanced Armed Robotic System, or MAARS for short, is an unmanned robot developed specifically for use in the military, and it has already begun sparking debates on the ethicality of using robots as machines for killing and war. The MAARS robot can be outfitted with satellite tracking systems, day and night cameras, a hostile fire detection system, and a smorgasbord of weapons (both lethal and non-lethal) that can be operated remotely.
SAFFiR is a two-legged, or bipedal, humanoid robot designed to help researchers evaluate the applications of unmanned systems in damage control and inspections aboard naval vessels, supporting the autonomy and unmanned systems focus area in the Navy's Science and Technology Strategy.
It provides the armed forces with remote reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition, nuclear, biological, and chemical reconnaissance, obstacle breaching, and direct fire capability to neutralize threats and reduce risk to the warfighter. It is one of the scariest military robots out there.
Roughly the size of a small mule, BigDog is a military-funded robot produced by the Google-owned company Boston Dynamics. It can carry up to 100 pounds and cross rough terrains that would be impossible for a robot on wheels, making it a useful pack mule for soldiers.
The robot is equipped with eight micro-video cameras that offer a 360-degree view of the objective, as well as two boresight cameras for firing the pistol. DOGO is controlled via a so-called Ranger remote control unit that allows the user to remain at a safe distance from the target.
Protection Ensemble Test Mannequin or PETMAN is a humanoid military robot designed to mimic the movement and behavior of a human soldier to test the next generation of military apparel and safety equipment. It can walk, run, crawl, and even sweat like a human. In the future, it could be deployed autonomously for search and rescue operations within dangerous areas.
ATLAS is intended to aid emergency services in search and rescue operations, perform tasks such as shutting off valves, opening doors, and operating powered equipment in environments where humans could not survive. The military is interested in ATLAS because this humanoid robot can go to places where humans can't and it can be used for rescue missions. But surely, you don't want him to do backflips during those missions.
As one of the world's only truly amphibious military robots, GuardBot is capable of supporting a wide range of applications in security, broadcasting for live video action streaming, and missions. GuardBot accelerates and decelerates quickly and smoothly on land, while amphibious movement is consistent.
The PD-100 Black Hornet is a tiny unmanned air vehicle (UAV) developed by Flir Systems. The Black Hornet UAV allows armed troops to spy on potential threats. The small, remotely-controlled rotorcraft helps to save the lives of front-line soldiers.
The Legged Squad Support System (LS3) is an automated quadrupedal robot funded by the U.S. military that can be used as a robotic "mule" of sorts. Capable of autonomously following its leader, understanding simple voice commands, and carrying over 400 lbs of payload. It is one of the scariest military robots out there.
