Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2005 11:58:55 -0400
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
From: "Mike B." <omni at omniphile.com>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Military robotics
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

At 03:42 PM 4/18/05 GMT, Ern wrote:
>So I'm sitting here at a mil robot conference in Georgetown, watching
videos about robot tanks and transports that are currently in development.
>
>Would anyone care to guess how many of these engineers have read any Keith
Laumer?
>
>Guess low. No, lower...

That's sad...

And given how well the DARPA automated vehicle race went in its first try,
I think there's a long way to go before we even get to the Bolo Mark III...

For anyone who didn't follow that race, it was a 142 mile cross country
race for automated vehicles.  They had to start out, cover the course and
get to the end without any external help at all (other than nav inputs such
as GPS signals).  Lots of entrants, some pretty creative (like Team
Ghostrider who entered a motorcycle).  None finished.  The one that got the
farthest was a Hum-Vee that made it just under 8 miles.  At that point it
got stuck trying to get around an obstruction and broke an axle.

It's pretty impressive that they made it that far, but it does show how far
we still have to go in sensors and AI before we can replace human drivers
for military situations.  Nobody was shooting at these vehicles for
instance...

More info at:
http://www.saic.com/cover-archive/saicpubs/grandchallenge.html and other
places.

-- Mike B.
--
"Problems worthy of attack prove their worth by hitting back." -- Piet Hein