Robot Warfare: Just Another Form of Outsourcing

The subject of robotics in warfare is one that has captured the imaginations of book readers and moviegoers alike as far back as the 19^th century. However, World War II broke the fiction barrier with the introduction of the first functional combat robots, such as the Germans’ remote-operated demolition bots or the Soviets’ teletanks. Since that time, technology has continued to progress with the commonly publicized Unmanned Arial Vehicles (“UAVs” or “drones”) or the demolition robots used to disarm various explosives (see The Hurtlocker). While there are many ethical arguments exploring their controversial uses, the technology is here to stay as the U.S. Military is investing heavily in research and development of increasingly automated systems. Even private companies are getting involved, bringing visions of Ironman to the forefront; the Atlas, developed by Boston Dynamics, is the first in what is sure to be a long line of future “Robo Sapiens.”

Boston Dynamics' Atlas Robot

More Boston Dynamics, Robot Mules That Do More Than Smell Bad

• One of the most advanced drones that is currently in use by the U.S. Army is the X-47. This drone is able to take-off, fly, sail, and land on an aircraft without any human assistance. Before you start freaking out and moving to an island, we have to say that the "good thing" about this drone (besides being able to do reconnaissance and identify targets) is that the X-47 is not built to kill anyone; in fact, it is not even weaponized.

R. Kelly's Already Working on a Song About This

• Despite what science fiction is predicting, today war robots are just complex robotic-weapons controlled by a human. These warriors are not capable of making decisions or acting on their own. Having a Terminator on the battlefield, fighting side by side (or against) a human soldier raises a lot of ethical and philosophical controversy. Can a robot decide to kill someone? Do robots have malice or hatred? Who is responsible for a murderous robot?

Why Couldn't They Have Sent In the Drones?

• Now, things are starting to change; autonomous robots are coming. PackBot, one of the famous bomb diffuser robots that has been deployed in more than 30 countries, is getting an update that will allow it to make decisions alone in certain situations such as following GPS points on a map or going back to its controller after loosing contact. These are small steps in creating a real Skynet, but some experts think that the slow progress is due to people's resistance of an autonomous robot in this field. Everyone from NGOs such as Stop Killing Robots to members of government armies have expressed their concern about this topic.

Does This Mean We Could Be Out of a Job Too?

• Some examples of what robots can do today in the field are Samsung’s SGR1 (developed in South Korea and able to recognize a human and use a machine gun), Boston Dynamic’s walking dogs, and bomb detectors and flying drones made by a variety of companies. None of them have real artificial intelligence yet, but this is definitely a preview of what is waiting for us in the future. We don’t know if we are scared or excited about all this, but changes are on their way regardless.

SGR1, Now For A Version For Detecting Late Teenage Children

And You Thought the NSA Was Scary...

• A boy paralized from the waist down walks on a football field and kicks a ball with its own feet. Impossible? Not anymore. A young Brazilian boy is supposed to do exactly that. He is supposed to kick-off the first ball at the Football World Championship in Brazil in 2014 supported by so-called “mind-controlled leg armour”.  This means that motorized metal braces will support and bend the boys legs steered by devices plugged directly into the brain, stabilized by gyroscopes and powered by a battery pack carried around in a backpack. Additional electrodes placed into the brain will even relay a feeling of pressure when each foot touches the ground. This is only a small step (no pun intended) from warfare development.

This?

Or This?

It's easy to theorize and fantasize about what could come from combining weapons and artificial intelligence but at this point all that's needed is a short wait. From giving humans new killing tools to having fully automated, self-reliant beings, robotics in warfare is expanding at as a rapid a pace as Schwarzenegger's biceps in the 1970s. It's only a matter of time before Arnold himself weighs in on the matter, maybe rehashing a few of his nightmares from his Terminator days.

"I have a love interest in every one of my films: a gun"

Don't Call My Phone, Send A Drone

         We have to admit that researching drones for this week's post has made us feel a little bit paranoid, so we'll do our best to avoid the apocalyptic applications of these flying beasts. Instead, we'll focus mainly on the practical functions of these Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), commonly known drones, from clothing you to feeding you to spying on your neighbors.

Don't Laugh, It's Not a Joke...

         Just imagine: you wake up for your Sunday paper (on your iPad of course), pour yourself a cup of coffee, and open up the window to let in the soothing familiarity of the scent of spring and the buzz of drones. You used to get woken up by those pesky songbirds every morning at 6:00 but due to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations of drone delivery, and of course the mass killing of songbirds from drone prevalence, you get a few more hours of shut-eye as delivery service doesn't start until 9:00. Your day just keeps getting better, and with the delivery of that F.C. Barcelona jersey you just ordered for tonight's game expected any minute by Amazon drone, it's about to do one more.

Now For the Furniture Shopping

         Ok so perhaps there is some slight hyperbole in this anecdote but it doesn't mean Amazon and like-minded enterprises aren't considering the possibilities. Take for instance Amazon's octocopter featured in the video above: it would be used to deliver packages to customers in 30 minutes or less. The Amazon Prime Air service is not yet available because there is no regulation for drones; however, the FAA is working on the necessary rules to start using drones commercially and the FAA could publish the first rules by the end of 2015.

Do I Still Have To Tip?

         Not only Amazon is developing drone services, even pizza companies, small breweries, bookstores, and social development companies are exploring the option. In one particularly altruistic example, one non-profit may use drones to bring medicine and critical supplies to remote places or isolated towns immediately after a natural disaster. In 2013, a UVA of this kind costed $3,000, and was capable of carrying around 2 kilograms over a distance of ten kilometers in 15 minutes while costing only 24 cents for the transportation of the supplies! They are very steady and resist strong winds and hot climates, so imagine the great impact these drones could have if organizations are able to scale this! If you want to know more about this project you can take a look here.

Why Do We Always Seem To Migrate Towards Wal-Mart These Days?

         In military procedures, the most commonly used drone is the Predator UAV, which was created with the intention of performing combat operations reducing the risk to human personnel and resources. Predators currently can carry up to 200 kilograms and can fly for up to 24 hours without assistance, and these figures are evolving quite rapidly. Drone pilots are able to recognize enemy forces and combat in the fiercest of battles without stepping foot outside of a building: suddenly, we see a use for those Call of Duty extraordinaires. Even if our COD pilots run out for a Mountain Dew refuel and find their drones out of commission, they can be quickly replaced at a much lower price than your average fighter jet. In addition to combat uses, drones are also used for reconnaissance such as photographing enemy positions, which enables the commanders to make faster and more dynamic decisions than ever before.

Protecting Against Enemies, Both Foreign and Domestic...

         Although met with widespread criticism, drones are highly useful and could be used in a variety of industries. In China, they’re even being put to use as agents of pollution reformers as they can cover as much as 70 square kilometers an hour to view the output of factories outside the cities (read more here). Perhaps with widespread usage, these flying vehicles could become pesky or downright oppressive, but with the right balance of usage and proper governmental restraint, they could just be the catalyst for an era of change and progress. Or not:

It’s A Drone, You Idiot

Facebook and Google are buying drone technology, and you thought the NSA was nosy... Read here to find out why

Welcome readers, to your new favorite tech blog. We are six MBA students at IE who share a passion for innovation and technology, and given our extensive backgrounds in the sector, we thought you should hear our thoughts. Ok, so we aren’t exactly the foremost technological experts in the world but we do share a craving for knowledge and have big imaginations for the future. Whether in medicine or the auto industry, banking, computer programming, or environmental science, technological innovations have huge implications on your future and will reshape global dynamics entirely. Therefore, why not ride the wave, jump on the bandwagon, and dream big for how you can take advantage of it in your daily lives.

For our first series, we’ve chosen to write about robotics, which ranges from manufacturing equipment to nanobots to drones to human cyborgs bent on taking over the world. In their current state, they can be found used in medicine, manufacturing, military operations, and a wide array of functions. In medicine for instance, robotics has been used in certain procedures, enhancing the capabilities of doctors performing surgeries and creating greater precision during operations. 

Excuse me, robot, can you please scratch my nose?

In the military, robots are already being used on risky jobs that were previously handled manually by soldiers, such as detecting mines and defusing bombs. One of the most commonly known military application is the infamous unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”), or combat drone, which is an aircraft without a pilot that is able to target and eliminate enemies from a distance. Even places like auto manufacturing plants are more and more automated, producing cars without ever touching human hands. More interestingly to us and more importantly to you, however, is what you can expect to see in the near future and in years to come.

In our upcoming posts you can expect read about nanorobotics; these nanobots are the byte-sized (pun intended) robots that typically work in coordination to potentially solve problems such as clogged arteries, pollution break down, or even clothing repair. 

I wish this guy would lay off the tortilla a little bit...

We will have an edition on drones, which can be anything as simple as a toy helicopter to as advanced and dangerous as a military striking tool (UAVs such as the U.S. Reapers). The military uses them for spying on enemies, the NSA uses them for spying on other countries, and Facebook and Google may use them for spying on YOU. 

I saw you run that red light...

There will be a post on our personal interaction with robots, such as with those that may be used for caretaking in Japan¹ (A.K.A. changing diapers). We know what you’re thinking and no, given our large expected contingent of 6-year-olds, we will not be discussing the recent sex-bot rumor.

With several posts more in store for you, you just might learn something interesting and useful, if your paranoia hasn’t already scared you into moving to a deserted island. Regardless, know that robots are here to stay and we want to be your tour guides to understanding how they may impact you throughout our first series of writings. That’s all for today, and in the words of one of our heroes,

Sources:

1. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/06/19/national/robot-niche-expands-in-senior-care/#.Uxi0BdwQ5uY