WASHINGTON – The US military is investing roughly $1 billion over the nextseveral years for the development of robotslink>like iron man to be used in an arrayof roles alongside combat troops, Bloomberg reportedlink>.The US military already uses robots in various capacities, such as inscouting and bomb disposal.
However, these new robots will reportedly be able to perform moresophisticated roles including carrying soldier’s gear, complexreconnaissance and detecting hazardous chemicals, exactly like the iron man.
Bryan McVeigh, the Army’s project manager for force protection, says*“There is no doubt that there will be robots in every Army formationwithin five years. We’re going from talking about robots to actuallybuilding and fielding programs. This is an exciting time to be working onrobots with the Army.”*
The US Army has signed a $429.1 million contract to Endeavor Robotics andQinetiQ North America, both based out of Massachusetts. Endeavor has alsosigned a separate contract for the Marine Corps and Army in recent monthsas the US Pentagon pushes for robots in a wide range of sizes.
The introduction of these iron man like robots into combat situations isintended to not only make life easier for troops but also protect them frompotentially fatal scenarios. However, there are also concerns about therapid development of robotic technology in relation to warfare, especiallyin terms of autonomous robots.
In fact, many are uncomfortable with the notion of killer robots decidingwho gets to live or die on the battlefield because no one is Tony Starkwith a good heart in an iron man suit.