A new robot for the US Military could make battle field extractions a lot easier.
Soon to be gone, those days of a brave soldier rushing into the fray, dodging bullets and explosions to find their injured comrade and drag them to safety.
Sure it may still happen, but not as often. The US Military is developing their BEAR (Battlefield Extraction-Assist Robot) system. This electric/hydraulic robotic system is capable of lifting more then 135kg (about 300lbs) of wounded human into its arms and safely extracting them from the battle field. If need be, the BEAR can also climb stairs, and even kneel or lie down to allow for urban and or covert rescues.
Gyroscopic systems and on board computers will give the BEAR some measure of intelligence, or at least a better sense of balance. The system will be remote controlled, but there will probably come an independent version, capable of entering combat zones to lift of carry heavy equipment, extract injured personnel, or just to help out with something else.
Daniel Theobald, president of Maryland-based Vecna Technologies, which is developing Bear, had said "We saw a need for a robot that can essentially go where a human can."
BEAR is expected to enter into service in about five years. I hope they hive it a face lift by then. Some camouflage gear, glowing red eyes, shoulder mounted machine guns, freakin' laser beams and stuff like that.
Personally, I'd love one of these guys. I mean, couldn't it help me around the house and yard? Maybe pick up a car when I have to do an oil change? Hey, is this the first Terminator?
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Wait, so it's the BEAR now? What heppened to their MULE project? And ya know what, if they actually built a robot bear, they'd probably kick lots more backside.
if this pans out, pretty soon there won't be anymore soldiers, just a bunch or robots. all the soldiers will be safe in some command center, sitting down at a computer, controlling the robots remotely and fragging their way through enemy lines.
i wonder if that job will pay well? maybe it would invoke a lot of kids to join the military.
they may not be 5 stories tall with rocket launchers and laser beams, but it's a start.
honestly, when is someone gonna start strapping WMD's (Weapons of Mass Destruction) to these robotic creations? just go to your local WalMart, buy an M-16, some duct tape, a little spray paint, and you've got one killer robot.