Phillip Ball questions technology guru Ray Kurzweil about his argument that future warfare will be dominated by cyberwarfare and military robots.
A look at how military robots could change the nature of warfare. One expert argues that the introduction of fighting robots would be "on the short list" of seminal events in all of military history right alongside the development of iron weapons, gunpowder, and the atomic bomb.
The battlefield of the future will be revolutionised by computing, robotics and biotechnology to create "killer insects" that can hunt down their prey in bunkers and caves and eat humans alive, experts say.
U.S. military planners and robot designers are developing the next-generation of military robots -- some of which could see action soon in Iraq -- by incorporating lessons from Afghanistan, where robots saw their first significant military action.
Military strategists are envisioning future conflicts where U.S. forces execute complex maneuvers on the basis of high-speed data flowing to vehicles and even individuals from unattended sensors and unmanned aerial vehicles.
Researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have developed a lightweight space age generator that can generate 25 watts and keep going for a week. The generator will enable future soldiers and police officers to carry laser weapons and sophisticated computer, navigation, and imaging equipment.
A giant leap for mankind may have begun with one small flip of a robotic fish. The fish is the first robot to be powered by real muscles and American military chiefs believe that the same technology could be harnessed to enable soldiers to leap tall buildings.
Greater reliance on robotics and advanced networking will revolutionize warfare within 15 years, according to a top military official who forecasts future trends in warfare and technology. Robotic vehicles and manned vehicles will work together, linked by digital networks, predicted Frank Fernandez, director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Pentagon's central research and development organization.
The U.S. Defense Department is turning to a family of software agents that locate, recognize and speed the delivery of critical information to where it is needed most on the battlefield. When minutes and seconds are precious commodities to a warfighter, software transfer agents help manage and expedite the dissemination of badly needed information. These robot-like software tools help leverage the power of the information age.