US Robots go ED-209

[MKSheppard]

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Kill-droid rebellion thwarted... this time

Ground-crawling US war robots armed with machine guns, deployed to fight in Iraq last year, reportedly turned on their fleshy masters almost at once. The rebellious machine warriors have been retired from combat pending upgrades.

The revelations were made by Kevin Fahey, US Army program executive officer for ground forces, at the recent RoboBusiness conference in America.

Speaking to Popular Mechanics, Fahey said there had been chilling incidents in which the SWORDS* combat bot had swivelled round and apparently attempted to train its 5.56mm M249 light machine-gun on its human comrades.

"The gun started moving when it was not intended to move," he said.

Apparently, alert American troops managed to quell the traitorous would-be droid assassins before the inevitable orgy of mechanised slaughter began. Fahey didn't say just how, but conceivably the rogue robots may have been suppressed with help from more trustworthy airborne kill machines, or perhaps prototype electropulse zap bombs.

No humans were hurt, but it seems that the struggle was sufficiently terrifying that it may be some time before American troops are ready to fight alongside robots again.

As Fahey pointed out, "once you've done something that's really bad, it can take 10 or 20 years to try it again". That said, it seems he expects to deploy a new and more trustworthy armed ground automaton within a year - perhaps the MAARS**, an upgraded SWORDS packing a heavier 7.62mm machine-gun and featuring improved safety features.

MAARS is also said by its makers to have "Transformer-like" abilities akin to those of Optimus Prime. Rather than being able to disguise itself as, say, a mobility scooter or a dessert trolley, the MAARS is actually only able to transform - with help from human allies - into a slightly different robot.

The Pop Mech analysts consider that the rattled GIs in Iraq are just being silly.

So SWORDS was yanked because it made people nervous. Meanwhile, the V-22 Osprey program has killed 30 people during test flights, but the tiltrotor aircraft is currently in active service.

Hmmm.

[KlavoHunter]

This article has waaaaaaaaaaay too much noise-to-signal.

[Admiral Valdemar]

MAARS is also said by its makers to have "Transformer-like" abilities akin to those of Optimus Prime. Rather than being able to disguise itself as, say, a mobility scooter or a dessert trolley, the MAARS is actually only able to transform - with help from human allies - into a slightly different robot.

Just like a Transformer then. Except for the transforming part. And being kickass. And useful.

Also, SWORD or Autonomous Mobile Sword?

[Stark]

This article has waaaaaaaaaaay too much noise-to-signal.

Why would you want facts when you could have dramatised hyperbole?

'Robot had fire control issues' isn't as interesting as 'zomg we're idiots robots r afta uz'.

[The Yosemite Bear]

MAARS is also said by its makers to have "Transformer-like" abilities akin to those of Optimus Prime. Rather than being able to disguise itself as, say, a mobility scooter or a dessert trolley, the MAARS is actually only able to transform - with help from human allies - into a slightly different robot.

Just like a Transformer then. Except for the transforming part. And being kickass. And useful.

Also, SWORD or Autonomous Mobile Sword?

yeah, I thought about that movie when reading the shep post too.

seems a little too bad sci-fi, and too many golem / orange bible issues written into it.

[phongn]

This article has waaaaaaaaaaay too much noise-to-signal.

It's The Register, what do you expect?

[Pu-239]

This article has waaaaaaaaaaay too much noise-to-signal.

It's The Register, they're known for that.

[Steel]

If they were worried about what the robots might have done, (but apparently didnt do) why didnt they repeat the exercise exactly except with the robots loaded with blanks and see what happened?

If the robots did actually start firing on friendly troops then theres a problem. If it was just the robot doing something it was programmed to do that was misinterpreted then they can go back to other tests.

[Einhander Sn0m4n]

This article has waaaaaaaaaaay too much noise-to-signal.

It's The Register; they're infamous for the extra snark.