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Saturday, December 08, 2007

Robots Replacing Human Soldiers?

One would think this was right out of a science fiction movie, but a 25 yr old man, Adam Gettings, a self taught engineer with assistance from shotgun maker Jerry Baber and ex-Disney imagineer Terry Izumi, has created a remote controlled, two foot tall robot that can navigate rocky terrain, climb stairs, and roll through a foot of water, moving at an average of 10 MPH and shooting 300 rounds per minute.

The robots, called Robotex AH, would cost approximately $30,000 per machine and they will be attempting to sell them to our government.

More informations from Fortune tells us that this product went from idea to product in six months, which definitely would concern the military with testing phases to find kinks before ever trying to use one is actual combat.

After the creation of the robot, friends of Baber's from Blackwater, the security contractor, contacted him, told him about Robotex and he contacted them and they all met.

That is how this robot was outfitted with $8,000 Atchisson Assault-12 shotgun was fresh off the assembly line after a dozen years in development.

It's made of aircraft-grade stainless steel, never needs lubrication or cleaning, and won't rust. Pour sand through it and it won't clog. It doesn't recoil, so it's accurate even when it's firing in automatic mode, which it does at a rate of 300 rounds per minute.

Truly a deadly machine, and if tested properly could very well be used in some of the most dangerous of places in the world, replacing soldiers in combat, although the human element of judgment cannot be replaced.

There is already a similar robot, the Talon, being tested in Iraq that costs six times the amount of this one.

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