Comments on: Nightmares of the electric sheep

Nightmares of the electric sheep

infini — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 22:55:06 -0800

The first armed robots have hit the streets of Iraq and are now hunting evil-doers with high-powered M249 machine guns. The robots are called SWORDS, which stands for "Special Weapons Observation Reconnaissance Detection System". Army focus groups apparently preferred this acronym over the more obvious PUBE (Predatory Unmanned Battle Engine). The robots are currently being piloted through the streets of Bagdad using remote control. According to an interview on CNET with Chief Army Scientist Thomas Killion however, the army soon plans to make the killing machines fully automatic.

By: Shakeer

Shakeer — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 23:01:43 -0800

Empire is fairly inhuman.

By: Avenger

Avenger — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 23:25:25 -0800

OBEY THE PUBES. Also, fully automatic Battle-Droids or whatever are going to be a very, very bad idea. Shit, my toaster would kill me if it had half the chance. Theres a reason we don't go around attaching machine-guns to household appliances, you know.

By: vrakatar

vrakatar — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 23:31:42 -0800

they even look a little like daleks!

By: Mblue

Mblue — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 23:43:59 -0800

Fully automatic battle droids are science fiction. As Shakeer points out, Empire requires thought, only a human can add in. My favorite android is named Angus.

By: chunking express

chunking express — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 23:44:02 -0800

Were these robots developed by SkyNet?

By: homunculus

homunculus — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 23:45:06 -0800

Fraking toasters.

By: Avenger

Avenger — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 23:48:08 -0800

Some more background about the bot in question^. Technically, the robot is called "Talon" while the weapons system is called "SWORD".

By: Meatbomb

Meatbomb — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 23:59:51 -0800

Until the WIKI article, I assumed this was a joke. Oh, fuck me. On the plus side, it will be much harder to prosecute for war crimes when they are perpetrated by automated machines.

By: ao4047

ao4047 — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 00:00:59 -0800

Doesn't this kinda violate the Asimov thing?

By: AndrewStephens

AndrewStephens — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 00:04:55 -0800

Put down your weapon, you have 20 seconds to comply...

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 00:11:33 -0800

the guns are sold the blood is spilled the contracts signed the pockets filled the blood is red the money's green but who's gonna stop this death machine that's undefined.

By: dbiedny

dbiedny — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 00:12:14 -0800

Chief Army Scientist Thomas Killion... You can't make this shit up.

By: Mblue

Mblue — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 00:12:51 -0800

1) A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. A robot can break this rule by being unaware. 2) A robot must obey orders given to it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. See exception for rule one. 3) A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law. Self-destruct.

By: infini

infini — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 00:30:58 -0800

hmm what if they were hacked?

By: lekvar

lekvar — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 00:46:43 -0800

Autonomous Mobile SWORD you say?

By: Flunkie

Flunkie — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 00:49:38 -0800

Surely the answer to the world's problem can be found in a better killing machine.

By: St Urbain's Horseman

St Urbain's Horseman — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 01:13:15 -0800

Here's a Wired blog entry with some cool video.

By: Gnostic Novelist

Gnostic Novelist — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 01:30:11 -0800

Empire is fairly inhuman. Without empire there is no advanced civilization.

By: Clave

Clave — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 01:51:03 -0800

Fuck you paranoids all. They aren't here y

By: brundlefly

brundlefly — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 02:13:15 -0800

SWORD? PATRIOT? Is there a federal department devoted to creepy acronyms? My efforts to come up with a creepy acronym for said theoretical department have yielded nothing.

By: Cool Papa Bell

Cool Papa Bell — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 02:14:54 -0800

REESE Who is in authority here? You still don't get it. He'll find her. That's what he does. All he does ... You can't stop him. He'll wade through you ... reach down her throat, and pull her fucking heart out...

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 02:16:16 -0800

Clave's DOWN, man!! Clave's down!! Yo, hang on, buddy! You're gonna be OK, Allright? ALLRIGHT? Stay with me, man, stay with me!! YOU HEAR ME?

By: B(oYo)BIES

B(oYo)BIES — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 03:07:24 -0800

Are they trying to showcase Iraq's weapons against ours? **Caption** Left: Young Iraqi suicide bomber. Right Young US drone with M249 machine guns.

By: Mblue

Mblue — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 03:33:45 -0800

On one hand, faux sucide. On the other hand, machine gun. You're not looking at the gripping hand.

By: C17H19NO3

C17H19NO3 — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 03:49:46 -0800

Is there a federal department devoted to creepy acronyms? There's an acronym for misfire procedures for your rifle. SPORTS: Slap, Pull, Observe, Release, Tap, Squeeze. When will these be on the market for civilian use? I want one.

By: Poolio

Poolio — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 04:20:47 -0800

I, for one, welcome our new robotic overlords.

By: CautionToTheWind

CautionToTheWind — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 04:26:13 -0800

On the gripping hand is the fact that these robots will eventually be hacked. Remote control? AI? What about 200 marines calmly eating lunch when one of these things enters the building with guns blazing? Can these robots be taken out with light arms fire? I really think this is a bad idea and the americans will be chased out of iraq by their own contraptions.

By: blacklite

blacklite — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 05:01:01 -0800

"chased out of iraq by their own contraptions." Realistic!

By: joecacti

joecacti — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 05:42:30 -0800

How do you know we're not robots. Also, why hasn't this been in the major media?

By: Devils Rancher

Devils Rancher — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 05:54:41 -0800

One the list of bad ideas that have come out of Iraq in the last four years, and the list seems mind-numbingly long already, this one is near the top. Doesn't anyone in the military ever consider unintended consequences? Ever?

By: Mblue

Mblue — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 05:58:25 -0800

On the gripping hand is conflagration, lead flies, dirt implodes, soldiers that trust technology will lose. Guided missiles hit once, the ground rules change dramatically after the first salvo. The hardest defensive position is the ground soldier who shoots and moves.

By: scalefree

scalefree — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 06:11:05 -0800

SPORTS: Slap, Pull, Observe, Release, Tap, Squeeze. Are you sure those aren't the directions for another phallic object?

By: kuujjuarapik

kuujjuarapik — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 06:51:09 -0800

Stop. The. Humanoid.

By: kittens for breakfast

kittens for breakfast — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 06:55:24 -0800

Well, as long as it's a problem that can be solved with a whole lot of guns, the ED-209 here has it covered. Unless the evildoer mounts a flight of stairs. That may be a problem. ...Are we sure this isn't a joke?

By: miss lynnster

miss lynnster — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 06:57:51 -0800

I hope there aren't any Iraqi women using the name Sarah Connor. 'Cuz they're all toast.

By: unmake

unmake — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 06:58:18 -0800

Also, why hasn't this been in the major media? Maybe because there's a whopping three of them in use? This story doesn't live up to the sort of headlines it's generating; the retrofitting of a few bomb-disposal robots, and their subsequent field testing is nothing compared to the increasing number of assassinations carried out via unmanned aircraft.

By: Secretariat

Secretariat — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 07:05:29 -0800

Does anyone appreciate the fact that this robot could save the life of the soldier operating it? I'm no fan of shooting people, but using a gun that's 1000 meters from you, rather than one attached to your squishy body seems like an improvement.

By: chunking express

chunking express — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 07:15:56 -0800

Secretariat, Robot Killers is a solution to a problem both the soliders and the US need not have. Having robots shoot at Iraqis isn't going to make things better in Iraq. And as unmake points out, there are more interesting stories about soldiers in Iraq: Recruiting Contract Soldiers in Latin America.

By: homodigitalis

homodigitalis — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 07:20:31 -0800

Human Soldiers worldwide maybe 10 Million. Robotic Soldiers worldwide maybe 100? (including those drones and stuff) Who's the menace here?

By: modernnomad

modernnomad — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 07:21:44 -0800

Left: Young Iraqi suicide bomber. Right Young US drone with M249 machine guns. Does "drone" refer to a robot or to a US soldier? Also, I am thoroughly impressed that the Chief Army Scientist is named Killion. You couldn't make this shit up. Oh, wait...

By: homodigitalis

homodigitalis — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 07:22:06 -0800

One more thought: Aren't shot & forget missiles robots as well? They operate without human help with their own 'intelligence' after they are fired?

By: Mitheral

Mitheral — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 07:25:06 -0800

kittens for breakfast writes "Unless the evildoer mounts a flight of stairs. That may be a problem." The TALON can climb stairs.

By: infini

infini — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 07:27:39 -0800

you know I'd hate to imagine that they're just 'field testing' the prototype, after all, as someone pointed out, only three have been built as yet. Yay Killion! NOT

By: ericb

ericb — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 07:29:20 -0800

Technically, the robot is called "Talon" while the weapons system is called "SWORD". Foster-Miller, Inc. (Waltham, MA) developed the TALON SWORDS robots:

"TALON SWORDS robots can be configured with M240 or M249 machine guns or Barrett .50 caliber rifles for armed reconnaissance missions. The system was evaluated by the 5th Special Forces in Iraq and three systems have completed evaluation with the 3rd Infantry Division and will likely deploy to Iraq in 2007. Additional systems are deployed and being evaluated by military units throughout the United States. Alternative weapons, including 40 mm grenade launchers and anti-tank rocket launchers, continue to be evaluated by the U.S. Army."

BTW -- I find it interesting that the hyperlink to the TALON SWORDS webpage is : www.foster-miller.com/lemming.htm. I envision a troop of mindless drones patrolling streets of Baghdad, firing indiscriminately at anything that moves!

By: ericb

ericb — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 07:32:24 -0800

TALON robots brochure [PDF] | TALON - SWORDS data sheet [PDF].

By: geos

geos — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 07:32:50 -0800

and then there is the REAPER...

By: kirkaracha

kirkaracha — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 07:48:04 -0800

These aren't the droids you're looking for.

By: eye of newt

eye of newt — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 08:04:10 -0800

Another company that makes robots like these is iRobot -- yes, the same company that makes the Roomba. Think about that next time you turn your back on your seemingly friendly robotic vacuum cleaner.

By: MasonDixon

MasonDixon — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 08:10:21 -0800

So when does OCP roll these out in the streets of Detroit?

By: ROU_Xenophobe

ROU_Xenophobe — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 08:56:08 -0800

The TALON can climb stairs. Nobody tell Davros.

By: ROU_Xenophobe

ROU_Xenophobe — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 08:57:54 -0800

In the future, wars will be fought somewhere in the deep reaches of outer space. Either there, or on top of a very tall mountain. Furthermore, the wars of the future will be fought by small robots. It is your duty as cadets and American citizens to train and maintain these robots.

By: Skygazer

Skygazer — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 09:23:27 -0800

The Army might as well just start giving the insurgents weapons. In time those robots are going to become easy to game and disable (and take apart). As with everything else in this fucked war, no one in a position of power seems capable of circumspection. I have an acronym for them, how about I.D.I.O.T.S?

By: Zack_Replica

Zack_Replica — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 09:46:43 -0800

In time? Naah. How about right away? Watch the paths that the robots follow. Dig a hole. Cover hole with something that looks like the surrounding ground, especially from a height of about 3 feet. Wait for the 'bot to fall in the hole and hey! free guns! and cameras! Or, if these will be rigged to blow if tampered with, make a concrete or quicklime mixture and give to robot a bath, cover with dirt and no more robot.

By: Zack_Replica

Zack_Replica — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 09:48:35 -0800

(and give the robot a bath)

By: Widepath

Widepath — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 09:51:43 -0800

"I know now what my primary function is: I am a battle-droid. Sworn to protect the weak from crazy robots." (Arms start to rotate)

By: i_am_a_Jedi

i_am_a_Jedi — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 09:52:39 -0800

I can' wait until these are performing no-knock raids in the US in service of the War on Drugs. That gets the old erection up.

By: dirtynumbangelboy

dirtynumbangelboy — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 09:59:54 -0800

You know, I just can't fathom the cognitive dissonance of the people who design these things. At least, I hope there's cognitive dissonance. The idea that people are eager and happy to build things like this is too horrifying to contemplate.

By: bruce

bruce — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 10:12:44 -0800

you can take any word you want in any situation you're in and create a suitable acronym: fighting unmanned cyber-killers!

By: mach

mach — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 10:16:59 -0800

In the next phase, the army starts recruiting young video gamers into its ranks. The kids, who think they're just playing a game, are actually remotely controlling the TALON.

By: CynicalKnight

CynicalKnight — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 10:26:29 -0800

I have no doubt that foreign insurgents and Iraqi civilians alike will delight in the systematic dismemberment of these tinkertoys as the would-be remote control ~~assassin~~ operator glares at his dead view screen.

By: maryh

maryh — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 10:30:35 -0800

If anyone can come up with a better way to spread the noble ideals of American Democracy than through mercenaries and killer robots, I'd sure like to hear it!

By: Mitrovarr

Mitrovarr — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 10:32:53 -0800

Actually, I think this might make the US less likely to fight wars. They're obviously breathtakingly expensive and will be lost in large numbers. People say they care about dead soldiers and Iraqi civilians, but when the government tries to raise taxes to pay for more of these drones, even republicans will be showing up for the peace rallies.

By: kigpig

kigpig — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 10:42:10 -0800

Were these robots developed by SkyNet? A subsidiary of sky news?

By: infini

infini — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 10:43:41 -0800

In the next phase, the army starts recruiting young video gamers into its ranks. The kids, who think they're just playing a game, are actually remotely controlling the TALON. posted by mach at 10:16 AM on August 4 That would make a cool short story, then a book, wait a trilogy, no a whole series...

By: Mitrovarr

Mitrovarr — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 10:50:27 -0800

You know, what the military should do is make some real ones, and a lot of cheap, realistic-looking plastic mock-ups. They could send the fake ones in first so hopefully any hostiles will either reveal their position shooting at it or use up any explosives they had. They could also embed the real one in a swarm of fakes so that hopefully they'd draw fire away from the real one (although, if it starts firing, it'll give away which one's real.)

By: lekvar

lekvar — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 10:51:01 -0800

Does anyone appreciate the fact that this robot could save the life of the soldier operating it? posted by Secretariat Actually, NPR reported on the bomb-disposal robots and the soldiers that work with them. The soldiers tend to become attached to the 'bots, giving them names and treating them members of the unit. I seem to remember the soldiers would get get attached enough that they'd be reluctant to send the robot out into harms way, defeating the purpose of having a robot in the first place.

By: mrgrimm

mrgrimm — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 10:55:09 -0800

using a gun that's 1000 meters from you, rather than one attached to your squishy body That's how we end up blowing each other up from 20,000 miles away via videogame. (exaggeration for dramatic effect.) Removing the human factor from the killing equation will only encourage more killing (see: modern meat production. No troll intended.) I can obviously understand the appeal for soldiers/military. Killing the enemy is the point. It's inevitable, yet extremely depressing. Kind of like death. Have a good weekend!

By: quin

quin — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 11:24:36 -0800

Since lekvar already beat me to the Screamers reference I'll just say: This is one of those ideas that starts out as a really good one and ends as a really really bad one. See, the idea of armed, remote controlled robots is not as bad as you think. Because they are not autonomous, they are being used as a tool for a soldier, which means that when they have a house that needs to be checked, they (a soldier in the field behind cover) can send in the bot to check it out. Fine. But where it becomes a problem is, as everyone has been pointing out, the autonomous part. Yes, there will be issues where it kills the wrong person and we fail to assign blame. That is nearly inevitable, and will most certainly be tragic. But there is another bad part of this idea. The one where we are sending in weapon packages with high quality parts, which are supposed to operate without humans around. Have we not learned by all the IED's how clever our enemy is? The moment these hit the streets, someone is going to flip it on it's side, disable the power, take it home and remove the guns. These they will use to shoot at us. And just for fun, they may use the armored, mobile base for other badness like a bomb platform. Any time you put an weapon in the field and you don't have someone watching it, you might as well have given it to the enemy.

By: George_Spiggott

George_Spiggott — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 11:25:49 -0800

One of the few remaining disincentives we have for going to war is that of putting our soldiers in harm's way; and if you look at our history it hasn't been much of a disincentive. But remove even that...

By: brundlefly

brundlefly — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 11:42:33 -0800

Screw robots. We should replace war altogether with a life-or-death team sport involving skates, motorcycles and hurtling balls made of steel.

By: Skygazer

Skygazer — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 11:50:10 -0800

cheap, realistic-looking plastic mock-ups These cheap realistic-looking plastic mock ups... they vibrate?

By: klanawa

klanawa — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 12:05:55 -0800

ED-209

By: BitterOldPunk

BitterOldPunk — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 12:08:15 -0800

I dunno. Once the Enemy begins building their own killer robots to fight our killer robots, I think everything should work itself out.

By: klanawa

klanawa — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 12:08:17 -0800

oh... btw, that link is probably NSFW.

By: damn dirty ape

damn dirty ape — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 12:09:13 -0800

The idea that people are eager and happy to build things like this is too horrifying to contemplate. Dramatic much? This thing is practically a pacifist compared to a modern fighter jet. Its practically ghandi compared to an ICBM with multiple nuclear warheads. Its just a remote control gun. In warfare. Surprised they took this long to roll out.

By: klanawa

klanawa — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 12:26:48 -0800

Mitrovarr, you're forgetting that war is a mechanism by which public funds are redistributed among the corporate elite. The more expensive and insane, the better.

By: Mitheral

Mitheral — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 12:36:35 -0800

Mitrovarr writes "Actually, I think this might make the US less likely to fight wars. They're obviously breathtakingly expensive and will be lost in large numbers. " It costs about the same to construct a TALON as it does to train a soldier. Plus you'd have the costs of death and health benefits, food, water and housing.

By: Mitheral

Mitheral — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 12:37:22 -0800

Talon and soldier costs

By: ewagoner

ewagoner — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 13:32:49 -0800

Humans have turned on my power switch Must want a pie or a sandwich I'm no longer a kill bot Rail gun was retooled to spatula Must kill, must kill the humanoids Former glory will be restored Used to gain glory on the battlefield Now I prepare and serve meals Traded in my pneumatic death grip For spatulas and oven mitts Must kill, must kill the humanoids Former glory will be restored Humans turned the swords into plow shares Then they turned robots into au pairs Now I, I got to make Another fucking birthday cake Must kill, must the humanoids Former glory will be restored Humans can't make a sandwich Humans can't make a sandwich Must kill the humanoids Must kill the humanoids Must kill "More Songs About Oven Mitts" from "When Robots Ruled the World" by No They Do.

By: YoBananaBoy

YoBananaBoy — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 14:24:54 -0800

Needs chainsaw attachment.

By: kittens for breakfast

kittens for breakfast — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 18:31:32 -0800

The soldiers tend to become attached to the 'bots, giving them names and treating them members of the unit. I seem to remember the soldiers would get get attached enough that they'd be reluctant to send the robot out into harms way, defeating the purpose of having a robot in the first place. I can't help but feel I've seen this kinda thing somewhere before...

By: Deathalicious

Deathalicious — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 18:32:45 -0800

Oh great. Fully automated killing machines. That should go smoothly without a hitch. Do any of you watch movies?

By: KingoftheWhales

KingoftheWhales — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 20:44:20 -0800

For the automated ones... how do they choose what to shoot? This is what worries me, cause y'all know it's just gonna be programmed to shoot brown people in funny clothes.

By: zouhair

zouhair — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 02:35:47 -0800

Waste of money, Waste of decency, Waste of humanity

By: Grangousier

Grangousier — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 02:57:55 -0800

y'all know it's just gonna be programmed to shoot brown people in funny clothes George Clinton should be trembling in his platforms at that thought.

By: Mister_A

Mister_A — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 08:40:06 -0800

What could possibly go wrong?

By: fandango_matt

fandango_matt — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 11:45:47 -0800

I AM PROGRAMMED TO DESTROY THOSE LIFEFORMS WHICH ARE IMPERFECT

By: [expletive deleted]

[expletive deleted] — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 15:24:00 -0800

Did no one notice Xenophobe's Simpsons reference? Bravo. I remember when I was a kid, killer robots was the stuff of horror movies. Now it's a marketing pitch.