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Soldering on: A private firm helped the military make the
robo-soldier | |
The US military is planning to deploy robots armed with machine-guns to
wage war against insurgents in Iraq.
Eighteen of the 1m-high robots, equipped with cameras and operated by
remote control, are going to Iraq this spring.
The machine is based on a robot already used by the military to disable
bombs.
Officials say the robot warrior is fast, accurate and will track and
attack the enemy with relatively little risk to the lives of US soldiers.
Unlike its human counterparts, the armed robot does not require food,
clothing, training, motivation or a pension.
When not needed in war, it can be mothballed in a warehouse.
However, the robot will rely on its human operator, remotely studying
footage from its cameras, for the order to open fire.
According to Bob Quinn, a manager with Foster-Miller, the US-based
company which worked with the military to develop the robot, the only
difference for a soldier is that "his weapon is not at his shoulder, it's
up to half a mile away".
The robot fighter has been christened Swords, after the acronym for
Special Weapons Observation Reconnaissance Detection Systems.
It is based on the Talon robot, which is widely used by the military to
disarm bombs.
A US officer who helped test the robot said it was a more accurate shot
than the average soldier because it is mounted on a stable platform and
takes aim electronically.
(BBC) |
美軍計(jì)劃將配備了機(jī)關(guān)槍的機(jī)器人戰(zhàn)士投入到打擊伊拉克反抗勢(shì)力的戰(zhàn)斗中去。
今年春季，18名身高1米，裝備了攝像機(jī)，通過遙控操作的機(jī)器人戰(zhàn)士將奔赴伊拉克。
這種機(jī)器人戰(zhàn)士的雛形是美軍現(xiàn)已使用的拆彈機(jī)器人。
官員們稱，這種機(jī)器人戰(zhàn)士能夠快速準(zhǔn)確地追蹤打擊敵人，而操縱它們的美軍士兵的生命危險(xiǎn)相對(duì)較小。
和它們的人類戰(zhàn)友不同的是，這些機(jī)器人戰(zhàn)士不需要吃飯、穿衣、訓(xùn)練、作戰(zhàn)動(dòng)機(jī)和退休金。
一旦戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)不再需要它們，它們可以被封存在倉庫里。
然而，這種機(jī)器人戰(zhàn)士要依賴它的操縱者，它們身上的攝像裝置可將周圍圖像傳輸給遠(yuǎn)端的操縱者，操縱者則根據(jù)看到的圖片下令射擊。
福斯特·米勒公司的經(jīng)理鮑勃·奎因說，對(duì)于士兵來說，唯一不同的只是“他的武器不是扛在肩上而是在半英里以外”。這家美國公司與軍方聯(lián)合研制這種機(jī)器人戰(zhàn)士。
這種機(jī)器人戰(zhàn)士被命名為“戰(zhàn)劍”，它的全名是“特種武器觀測(cè)偵察探測(cè)系統(tǒng)”。
它是機(jī)器人“塔隆”的升級(jí)版，“塔隆”已被軍方廣泛用于炸彈拆除。
協(xié)助測(cè)試該機(jī)器人的一位美國官員說，它和普通士兵相比，還是神槍手，因?yàn)樗鼈儽话惭b在固定平臺(tái)上而且是電子瞄準(zhǔn)。
（中國日?qǐng)?bào)網(wǎng)站譯） |
Updated: 2005-01-26 10:25