Robot Joes
The Washington Times reports that the Army is looking at replacing soldiers with robots. I guess they never watched the Terminator series. Doesn’t Skynet mean anything to anyone anymore?
Defense News reported that Gen. Cone, head of the Army’s Training and Doctrine Command, said, “I’ve got clear guidance to think about what if you could robotically perform some of the tasks in terms of maneuverability, in terms of the future of the force.”
He also said at the Army Aviation Symposium in Arlington that he also has “clear guidance to rethink” the traditional size of the infantry squad, currently at nine.
The general then said that more unmanned ground vehicles are on the way, Defense News reported. He also said that while the Army was pursuing a goal of shrinking its soldier count from 540,000 to 490,000 by 2014, and to 420,000 by 2019, an even smaller force could still prove successful – and his staff was currently forming an advisory panel to see how that could be accomplished.
I don’t think the general is actually talking about replacing infantrymen with robots, but the article makes it sound like he is contemplating it. I can see replacing truck drivers with remote control stuff, or using robots to carry an infantry squad’s equipment, or something like that. But you really can’t replace an infantryman with a robot. Half of an infantryman’s job is to bitch, complain and try to make himself comfortable. Now if they can program all of that into a robot, I’ll be impressed.
Category: Big Army
Sounds great…until the batteries die.
We have drones and EOD robots now. Of course there are humand guiding them. but a lot of their navigation is autopilot.
Maybe they’re thinking less along the lines of “Terminator” and more “Galactica.”
Hey, I could definitely see a bright side to this. Think about it. Thousands of copies of Tricia Helfer, Grace Park, Lucy Lawless, and that Indian chick (I forget her name), that are all hardbodied nymphos whose spines oddly glow during sex (apparently because they can; it never got explained on the show). Think of what that could do for troop morale!
Of course, if that is the case, then it begs the question of whether General Cone should be trusted with taxpayer money…
If an Infantryman isn’t bitching something is wrong.
Microsoft is working on the “bitch chip” as we speak.
Of course, after it comes out it’ll have about 3000 patches in it, crashes every 10 minutes, and won’t be supported six months after the new bitch chip comes out.
“…or using robots to carry an infantry squad’s equipment, or something like that.”
That’s where they’re going (for the moment).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cjtOXwF4rU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIbtwn8jwwc
The big problem is the difficulties the machines have with terrain and vegetation.
@3: No, not Terminator or Galactica. It’s The Simpsons:
“The wars of the future will not be fought on the battlefield or at sea. They will be fought in space, or possibly on top of a very tall mountain. In either case, most of the actual fighting will be done by small robots. And as you go forth today remember always your duty is clear: To build and maintain those robots.”
(From: “The Secret War of Lisa Simpson.” [1997])
We used quite a few types of robots last year when I was downrange and those things were severely limited in their capabilities. They couldn’t maneuver over a lot of terrain, they went out of signal randomly, and the batteries died all the time. Overall they were not that useful to use however there are some EOD teams that used them with a lot of success. I think there is a lot more work to be done before they are considered a viable replacement for a soldier.
Just maybe it isn’t General Cone, maybe it’s
General Clone, just saying.
I’m sorry, Colonel, but DATA was not programmed to carry and fire weapons, maintain an unhygienic lifestyle in the bush, and spend his spare time bitching about everything. Besides, those robot things like the BORG don’t seem to be able to follow orders very well, and they have no intiative.
You’ll have to make do with real soldiers instead.
What? Oh, C3PO? No, he’s on vacation. Won’t be available until you retire.
So let’s see, that eliminates, DATA, the BORG, the entire R2/R3 and C2/C3po series, the toasters, the Exocomps, Robbie, and that Tin Man thingy.
You forgot the HAL 9000.
“What’s that, Dave? You want me to go up against the Taliban? Well, let’s just say you’re out of your fucking mind, Dave. Those goatfuckers don’t have spaceships, so I really can’t flush them out of the airlock, now can I?”
I am all about Robots see below!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5_NOeihzhw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTGOjWv9fcQ
NHSParky, you’re right: I left out HAL9000, as well as GORT, Hadaly, TikTok, Zat, Helen O’loy, Adam Link, Jay Score, Norby, Roy Batty, Pris and Rachael.
And who but Patricia Neal could say ‘GORT! Klaatu barada nikto’ quite so effectively?
@13 Bruce Campbell almost could…
That’s because he has it. If you have it, you don’t need it. If you need it, you don’t have it. But if you have it, you want more of it.
/Old Spice whistle
I’m glad it’s a snow day here in the Kingdom of the Great Frozen North.
How dare GEN Cone pick my brain about a robot army before I even get it oultined on paper? I will have to send him a blistering, in-your-face protest and remind him that it’s my tax money, not his.
Damn! And my first robot’s name was Insipid, too.
Bruce and Jeff Donovan (Burn Notice guys) recently spent some time in Iraq at Combat Outpost Meade.
Link is here: http://www.bruce-campbell.com/pilot.asp?pg=iraq#Iraq
GEN Campbell said something similar last week in an interview, but the whole process is so early and “good idea fairy” it’s almost not worth talking about. They haven’t even started to ask what these new robots would do that would shrink a BCT. If they did, they’d probably realize that while new robots and automation might help somewhere on the battlefield it probably won’t replace any living people. Everytime we’ve added a UAV or remote control EOD bot we’ve had to send contractors or invent an additional MOS for that kind of mechanic.
@17 Re: “Burn Notice”
I wish I could be 1/10 as cool as Sam Axe…
So, the Army contracts to build robotic soldiers that are remotely controlled like UAVs. Sooner or later, we are sure to face off against China. Since there is no such thing as corporate espionage, we should be fine, right? I mean, there is no possible way that a technological super-power could ever take over the way we control our bots and turn them around to wipe us out, right? Nope, not in a million years.
Oh, wait… Now I see the flaw in this plan!
The biggest challenge regarding implementing robots instead of enlisted in the us military is programming will so they can berate them enough to break it. Once this is figured out the enlisted man’s day is numbered.
Hooah!
A Master Chief once imparted a great wisdom to me, “A bitching Sailor is a happy Sailor. It’s when they get quiet that you have to worry.”
I imagine that philosophy pertains just as much to the Infantry.
Use tea baggers and rush limbo liseners they are robots already and a lot of robots here pose as human beings! And when I don’t post for a while you acuse other posters as being like me do you miss me that much ?
Whazza matta, vwpussy? Nobody at school dickpunch you yet today?
Well, I guess vietnam war protestor’s afternoon break at his workplace must start at 2:45PM on Wednesdays.
I wonder if he’s finished mopping the hall yet, or if he’s returning to finish that after his break.
Luckily a robot to replace vwp is already available…. a noisy, broken vibrator an inch and a half long.
Oh the irony of the “person” that posts nothing but Liberal talking points calling us robots.
See what I mean robot talk!
Vietnam war moron, wondered where you had been. Guess your meds wore off and you have decided to come back and spew some more of your gibberish.
As you can see by your warm welcome back, we surely did miss you. Now, take a deep breath, stop spouting your liberal drivel and go fuck yourself.
I would suggest that you just go away, but it is so fun fucking with you that I hope you never do. You remind me that even kids that ate paint chips have computer access.
@26 I thought VWPuddleofpiss was replaced by the fleshlight…
BTW, VWPissant, you never got back to me on the thread about Cuomo’s supposedly “distorted” comments. Where’s the “snappy” comeback? Or were you not able to find a rebuttal in the Kindergarten-level interpretation of current White House talking points? Come on, asshole, shock me. Amaze me with your gargantuan intellectual prowess. At least demonstrate a 2nd grade-level ability to form a complete sentence–that actually would impress me, coming from you.
@31 I posted I like cuomo’s “distorted” comments don’t take them back. Again he should tell the conservatives to leave and move to skunk mississippi(thats a fictional town ;but you get the point) You can join the kkk and work at walmart as they now have to do as walmart put their small businesses out of business. Also you can then put on you truck one of those confederate flag bumper stickers that say “I will never forget-that I lost!”
@32 VWP I posted using your handle on another thread. I wrote something coherent, sensible and humorous. It fooled everyone for about 30 seconds, thinking your meds had been adjusted while you were institutionalized. But then they caught on and said, Nah no way that’s VWP. But it was fun sticking it to your little liberal, glue sniffing ass while it lasted. So GFY,GFY,GFY,GFY,GFY,GFY,GFY,GFY,GFY,GFY, and then GFY.
A prototype was developed some years ago, code named Mr. Machine. I recall it like it was yesterday. Here. Look. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgIm1mJCyRU
VWP has no need to ever worry about being replaced by a robot-no one would ever intentionally make a useless robot.
68W58, VWpussypants IS a useless robot.
Nice to see that they let him out of his padded room occasionally.
@32–vwpussy–why are all those “small businesses” being put out of business? Could it be they didn’t meet the demands of their customers?
Holy fucking market forces, Batman!
Dunno about that, 68W58. Ever seen the “It’s a Small World” ride at Disneyland? (smile)
Hondo–the ride so lame they made it twice. And the only time I ever time I saw a line on either the one in Anaheim or Orlando is when it was raining.
VWPussy, you clearly didn’t read my last comment on the Cuomo thread, based on your response. I advise you to go back and read the last comments there, as OWB and I had some challenges to your little KKK thesis that thus far remain unanswered. I suppose I could C&P if necessary.
As for your suggestion that I join the KKK, there’s a few problems with that:
1) I am not a hateful, inbred fucktard, and therefore would not be welcomed. You, however, would fit right in.
2) I am a white man whose wife is not white, and am the father of a multiracial child. Your klan ass-buddies consider me a “race traitor” for that.
3) I’m Catholic. And like all good fascists, the KKK hates Catholics. BTW, the feeling is mutual.
So once again, get fucked in the most humiliating way possible, you fucking idiot.
You know, right after I posted the South Park episode AWESOM-O came on (it’s one where Cartman pretends to be a robot to try and fool Butters) and all I could think of while Cartman was making a fool of himself was, “well I was wrong, there is a purposefully foolish and useless robot, so maybe an automated VWP will one day litter comment threads all over the internet.”
Meh, the fast food industry has already debuted cooking and serving equipment as well as automatic ordering kiosks, all they need is to keep the machines clean, supplied, and maintained. A fast food robot won’t strike to demand $15 an hour for unskilled labor, call in sick to “go party”,… Once it’s paid for and installed correctly, sanitation and maintenance are the only issues. Thus, idiots like VWpisshead are going to be even more dependent on Government handouts because they never want to learn in order to improve their lot in life, all they can do is say “GIMME,…”
@40 The klan now takes catholics and may soon take tea baggers who are jewish. Tea bagger african-americans may take a little longer!
@43 ‘vietnam war protester’; How do you know so much about the “Klan” and who they accept? Where does your knowledge come from? Are you an insider with them who knows what they are up to? Come clean, now; shouldn’t your name be something like “vietam war protester, Wizard of the KKK?” (Kinda like that democrat Bob Byrd from West Virginia.)
My last nine years in the Army were spent in logistics and I can see a few places robots could be useful. Maybe in a warehouse, driving a forklift, without knocking out some lights, while stacking shit on high shelves. We could send two 92G’s out in a small truck to feed 200 soldiers in about 15 minutes, but a robot could refill that truck faster than the other ten guys and gals who spent an hour or so humping the trays over and putting them in the heating slots. Maybe. We loaded a lot of package POL on trucks, then sent them out with mechanic teams in contact trucks to keep them moving. Maybe loading the package POL could be done with robots, the mechanics, not so much. I suppose a robot could fill a 2500 gallon tanker with little problems. But could it buy the gas off the economy? Not may places I’ve seen would fill a tanker with gas if a truck just pulled up. You have to have someone go inside and ask the nice man to fill your tanker up and give him your GPC to pay for it. (There really aren’t too many places where you can fill a couple of 2500 gallon trucks with any kind of gas.) Ammo has to be counted with a lot of precision and maybe a robot could do some of it at the ASP. Perhaps the robot would have stopped me from trying to load 50,000 .50 rounds and 4,000 40mm rounds on my 2 1/2 ton truck instead of a 5 ton. (Had to figure that one out on my own and transfer my crew and load to a 5 ton.)(The 5 ton driver was not amused.) Then we come to Mechanical and Medical. How much of that can be automated with robots? Any loggies out there reading this will recognize the 135MM planning I used. Class 1, sustenance. Class 3, POL. Class 5, Ammo. MM is mechanical and medical. You can probably use robots for some stuff, but the war fighting, and getting the stuff… Read more »