perfidy

Loyal reader #00012, Guitarpicker, alerts us to recent developments in lethal autonomous robots. USA Today is reporting that the Air Force is testing several new robotic vehicles intended, according to Air Force claims, to "detect the enemy first, will receive any of the initial hostile acts," Meana said. "If you shoot the robot we don't care. We know you're there, you're hostile, and we can keep our forces in reserve to move tactically against the enemy. The robots will save our troops' lives." Staff Sergeant Miguel Jimenez, displaying a stunning lack of concern of the future survival of his own species, said Tuesday, "If somebody wants to spend the money and send something like that out there instead of my life, I'm all about that."

The Air Force is testing two different robots for perimeter security. The first and more expensive is the Mobile Detection and Response System, or MDARS. Looking curiously similar to "Number Five" from the movie "Short Circuit," this robot can be equipped with automatic weapons and pepper spray. It will use radar, TV and infrared to detect and destroy its human prey.

But that's not all. Like Voltron, MDARS can also split into several smaller robots. Okay, only sort of. Here is a snap of MDARS launching Matilda, a mini robot designed to allow inspection under vehicles and into areas too small for the jeep sized MDARS.

Our days as the dominant lifeform on this planet are numbered, as this model will go into production next year. As always, I would like to be the first to welcome our new robotic overlords.

Other cool links:

Here is another, more detailed, story on the robot from the National Defense Magazine.

Globalsecurity.org has pages for MDARS and a related project, REDCAR.

And of course, you absolutely must check this out.