The Robots are Coming
The robotics pioneers over at DARPA are coming out with some crazy stuff... Here is a 20-ton robotic tank.
Pointing to the bristling array of sensors on the vehicles, Jaczkowski said these vehicles incorporate second-generation ladar-laser radar, forward-looking infrared sensors, and advanced computers to handle autonomous navigation.
For the autonomous follower, engineers are going beyond Global Positioning Systems to link terrain data from the lead vehicle back to the follower vehicle to augment data the follower vehicle gathers from on-board sensors.
"We have a major emphasis to create systems that can operate without GPS. We know that electronic interference can easily jam GPS in a battle zone.
The future of warfare will be these unmanned vehicles, much like the Air Force is using the Predator drones now. thanks engadget!
Or take a look at this US Navy swimming spy plane, which could give new life to the large fleet of Ohio-class submarines previously only engaged in nuclear deterrence.
None of these robots are autonomous, meaning that there is a human in the loop at all levels. The goal is to make them operate without someone's finger on the trigger, so that the robot can identify and eliminate a target without human intervention. The smart AI for these systems isn't science fiction, and it's not that far off. It might sound a little bit scary, but it is only the beginning of the robotics revolution that we will see in the next twenty years.
The first successful home robots are simple. They sweep and mop your floors. In the next few years there will be more of these simple machines taking over chores and easy tasks, growing increasingly complex. I finished reading Ray Kurzweil's latest book, The Singularity Is Near. In this 672-page tome he discusses the three upcoming revolutions that will change our world. Not a little bit, but change as significant as the Industrial Revolution. These three revolutions are the Genetic, the Nanotechnology, and the Robotic. I will post a review of this book in the near future.
His premise is that human technological advances are exponential, while we are still stuck in a linear mode of thinking. Most policy and decision makers simply cannot fathom the awesome advances we will make in the next fifty years, and that we as a society need to change our thinking so that we are prepared for these advances. For a visualization of exponential growth, take a look at this Malthusian population graph.
As is stands today, we are at the base of curve, ready to take off and capitalize on exponential technological growth. On some level it can be argued that not just technological progress, but economic, social, and political growth and understanding will follow this same trend. I'm excited and optimistic about the future of human societies. It is difficult to remain positive sometimes, and humanity needs some good fortune and good luck to survive into the next millenium. There is a fair chance that we might just blow ourselves up. I think there are more reasons look forward with hope rather than fear, however.
For some great short stories and information about robotics and future possibilities, check out Marshall Brain's Robotic Future. Be sure to read his story Manna. The future is near...
posted by c_peligroso @ 10:24 AM
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