In an earlier post about combat robots, I speculated about the progression of warbot design and how it could go in two directions, humanoid or “Bolo”-style AI-driven tanks. The Army MULE combat robot prototype is one of the latter design types.
The two-and-a-half ton Multifunction Utility Logistics and Equipment (MULE) vehicle is seen as the ‘bot that will travel with every light infantry company in the Army of ten-to-fifteen years’ hence. (Of course, with robots being cut left and right from the Army’s future plans, you never can tell.)
“Designed to fly on a Black Hawk, the [MULE] will carry two 7.62mm machine guns and two Javelin anti-tank missiles and feed camera data from its on-board sensors.” Backers like Major David Byers, the MULE’s assistant program manager, see the machine as “the equivalent of [a] weapon squad. You double the firepower without putting soldiers in harm’s way.”
The important thing is to ensure these things don’t become deployed in “live minefield” applications, or other situations where the warbot could encounter humans in unsupervised conditions.
Do you think it can also carry D.R.U.G.S.?
$1,000,000 to buy, and disabled by a $0.99 spray can.
force-a-catchy-acronym names should be banned from all legislation (P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act) and military programs (M.U.L.E.)
and a cheap RPG takes down the Blackhawk, then the spray-paint can blinds the MULE.
Anyone know what graphite is???
NEET stuff…
You can magneticly charge it, and just spread it on a field…
It will be attacked to anything with static…
Or just throw an air burst of it, over the item…It would be atacked to the Lences and any magnetics…Including the PC boards.
You sound like mice talking about who will bell the cat. What is the range of a spray can?
Realistically, they will only be deployed with infantry support, like tanks and other clumsy but deadly gear.
“and a cheap RPG takes down the Blackhawk, then the spray-paint can blinds the MULE”
All the more reason the military must buy MORE of them to replace the ones destroyed, then more and more and more…
as Boeing and Lockheed and Raytheon and various divisions of Halliburton rake in the insane profits. Weapons don’t have to work, they just have to be bought!
#5. Yeah, it does seem unlikely that someone would deliberately get themselves killed disabling a piece of US Army hardware …
Just like modern military thinking send a $1,000,000.00 solution (Mule) to handle a $50,000.00 problem (RPG, IED). I’m sure it will scare the heck out of the enemy the first time it’s seen parading down the street.
#5
Just like this M2 Bradley.
Looks fun to drive… does it come w/ a playstation controller or an xbox controller?
I would think a sniper with a keen eye could hit the camera, no need to get that close with a spray can.
Please tell me if I am wrong.
#9. Cripes! The comments all suggested the Bradley was empty. I hope that is true.
#12
Yes, hopefully it was empty. The song – which mentions Kuffar a bunch of times – must be on the Insurgents Top Ten…
#13. If I had to listen to that song repeatedly, I would seriously consider blowing myself up. But then, I felt the same way about “Achy Breaky Heart”
So we don’t even rank as dhimmi any more. Bummer.
A really interestng robot is a group of flying M16s that uses swarm software to control the group.I read that it works but is very dangerous for anyone w/out a protective transmitter.
“Ten to fifteen years away?” Good thing these engineers weren’t supplying WWII — we wouldn’t have fought the Germans until the mid-fifties or sixties.
The first thing I suggest the army build is a SHOULDER CARRIED remote control machine gun bot. (or grenade launcher of maybe even just a big bomb.)
IF our guys get pinned down, they send the machine gun bot over to a better shooting angle and blast away to give our guys cover.
I want one for my backyard patrol.
An interesting article concerning a fascinating subject. FWIW, I initiated a thread on the subject of “Combat Robots” at http://tinyurl.com/ytdv8a , in the Technology forum of http://anomalies.net/page/home , beginning December 2004 . The subject of your recent post, and links therefrom, are now the latest additions to that thread.
As you seem to have curiosity concerning this subject, Mr. Dvorak, you might find the thread of some slight interest. I have put a bit of effort into it, and hope it to be of basic educational value.
In any event, thanks: more details, of which I was unaware, about a subject which will undoubtedly affect all of our lives. Hopefully, none of us shall ever see one of these things rolling down our neighborhood streets, in order to terrify us all into submission.
I worry about that. Amoral video kids killing remotely, without compunction, but with government approval.
Kenneth Johnson
Sand Point Alaska
Oh, the global warmers didn’t ask yet:
What’s the MPG on that thing? How much carbon does it give off? Will the military buy carbon credits to offset its carbon footprint?
Meh.
You sound like mice talking about who will bell the cat. What is the range of a spray can?
What’s the range of a paintball gun? How much does 1000 rds of paintballs cost vs. 1000 rds of 7.62X39? How about a condom filled with black paint launched from a slingshot?
Not that I think the M.Y.O.O.L. is a bad idea. (Even if it saves one life, etc etc etc.)
5, Alix, with these micro UAV’s I would think the MULE robot would have an excellent fighting chance.
http://www.defensetech.org/archives/001467.html
#3 – Yes and an RPG can probably take out a MULE as well. The only difference is when the MULE goes down nobody makes a movie about it.
If a hunk of junk like this can keep a few guys from getting killed then it’s well worth the price.