NationStates Jolt Archive

Hello everyone

I'd like to put this to the people who are experts at dividing MT, PMT, and FT.

Given technological advances in the past ten years - most noteably RFID, bipedal robots (Asimo and its ilk), self-navigating robots (the US DOD "robot-vehicle" challenges) and pattern/face recognition - it seems likely to me that we could see semi-autonomous combat robots within the next few years.

Note I am not talking machines that are self-aware (no SKYNET or Terminators) but machines that are capable of:

*navigating through terrain
*recognizing friend from foe (RFID employed with friendly units, and pattern recognition to be able to identify enemy uniforms, weapons, etc).
*reacting to changing conditions (coming under enemy fire, suddenly losing contact with HQ, etc).
*targetting enemy units

Human control would still be needed in certain cicumstances (updating IFF, issuing target and navigation goals), and such a machine can't replace humans in the field, but machines like this could be employed as a kind of support unit - the power of an IFV in a package capable of going inside buildings.

Robot tanks would be easier, I think, and might be deployed sooner than a "human-sized" combat robot.

Thoughts? Is this plausible for MT, or is this forever in PMT territory?

I think PMT, but then again there are people with way more posts than me that are authorities on this.

Its plausible for MT for the support role. U.S. is using them in Iraq and Isreal used them in Lebanon.

Hm... I thought those machines were more teleoperated than autonomous. I'm thinking about a machine that can still recieve instructions from a command post, but if the communication link is broken it can still carry out its mission.

I'd say no more than a few years ahead of the US.

Well, that may be a little on the PMT side. Boeing is working on that for their UCAV and thats still some time away. Also that is in the air and it is much easier to program UAV's in the air then the ground.

I'd say low PMT, just to avoid any issues. Such technology on NS budgets could probaly be accomplished MTly, but you'll inevitably recieve complaints from some RPers (no names!). Therefore, I'd say Low PMT.