U.S. Army gets demo of new supertoy

[The Straight Story]

U.S. Army gets demo of new supertoy

Oshkosh Defense recently demonstrated the latest in unmanned ground vehicle technology at the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development, and Engineering Center at Fort Hood, Texas.

Oshkosh Defense is an industry leader in the development of autonomous vehicle technology. The Oshkosh TerraMax autonomous vehicle system incorporates the latest in advanced robotic hardware and software.

The Oshkosh Command Zone electronics system provides a drive-by-wire capability, which allows intelligent computer control of steering, acceleration, braking, and transmission.

The IBEO LUX laser scanner offers enhanced sensing capabilities as part of the light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system for 360-degree obstacle detection. The laser scanner's low-profile packaging reduces the visual signature of the sensors on the vehicle, allowing the vehicle to blend in more seamlessly within the military's fleets.

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-10345528-48.html

[JonQ]

1. Cool

I think this is the way to go in military technology.

Save american lives, and in a coldly logical way, save money in the long run (machines are going to be cheaper to create than soldiers considering all the expenses of raising a child to 18).

[TheMightyFavog]

2. When it comes to disposing of IEDs and explosives.

I'd rather a robot be doing the job than an actual human risking it all.

[Rick Myers]

3. It looks like a WW2 truck...

I realize it's a technology demonstrator, but it looks kinda silly... Maybe it will be a Transformer???

I am ALL FOR using robotics to replace humans in dangerous situations...

[The Straight Story]

4. It transforms into a giant cross and shoots Jesus rays at the enemy

:rofl:

[TheMightyFavog]

8. That's what Oshkosh has been building since WWI.

Heavy duty trucks, particularly those built for the military are an Oshkosh specialty.

[Ron Green]

5. There's a fundamental immorality in war by remote control,

although of course it saves lives on "our side" (since we can afford the technology.)

Making war without personal risk, an egregious example of which are killing machines in Iraq operated by 9-to-5ers in office buildings in California, pushes us along a path toward easier and more sell-able wars of convenience.

I suggest that if we're ever going to bring peace we don't need to make war easier.




edit: typo

[Selatius]

7. The point hasn't been to "bring peace" for a while. It's about war for profit's sake.

This is why you have companies creating this stuff and then testing it with the military. They didn't spend all that money and hope to go away empty-handed. They want to land a juicy contract, like them boys over there at Blackwater or Halliburton or a giant defense contractor like General Electric.

War is no longer a means to an end. Its very existence is the purpose. This is why you have a country with an extremely hawkish foreign policy. More war ==> the need for weapons technology ==> more contracts for them. The defense industry has been sending lobbyists to change foreign policy for decades now on top of trying to get more funding for weapons programs.

[Democracyinkind]

9. P.W. Singer - Wired for War

http://www.buch.ch/shop/bch_start_startseite/suchartikel/wired_for_war_the_robotics_revolution_and_conflict_in_the_twenty/p_w_singer/ISBN1-59420-198-6/ID15970441.html?jumpId=790230

your post reminded me of that book.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

6. The "Masters of War", unfortunately, never go broke thanks to congress.