Robots are officially on the battlefield — UAVs like the Predator and Reaper patrol the skies while militarise bomb - disposal robots like the Talon detonate explosive on the reason . But where are the humanoids ? Roboticist and authorDaniel H. Wilsonmakes the case for a humanoid automaton army .
A humanoid golem is a general - purpose golem that looks a luck like a person , complete with a headspring , body , arm and legs . The “ total software system ” humanoid can walk bipedally , like a mortal , and employ its paw to dexterously manipulate objects in the world .
Current prototypes like the Honda ASIMO can deliver Camellia sinensis and politely shake hand with their human masters , but based on some bully sci - fi motion-picture show , humanoid robots are guess to be terror on the battlefield — walk Ti endoskeletons scraunch over human skulls and mowing down bothersome human race with massive handheld Richard Jordan Gatling guns .
Will we ever really see a humanoid robot army ? I intend so , and here are my top five reasons why .
1 . There is a one - to - one mapping between the human and the humanoid body .
golem are n’t yet chic enough to play without superintendence . That ’s why human soldier control unmanned aerial vehicles from thousands of mile off by whirl joysticks . It is n’t easy , but flying a plane through empty space is child ’s period of play compare to manoeuvre a undercoat - ground robot through rubble and wreckage . And what if you need to do something more complicated than just stepping over a curbing , like defuse a bomb ?
It ’s called telepresence . With telepresence , a someone feels as though they are the robot by keep in line the robot ’s body and picture through its eyes . Human - shaped robots are infinitely easier to manipulate because there is a one - to - one mapping between man and machine . Instead of shoving around a non - visceral joystick , slip your hands into gloves that map out your finger to robot finger’s breadth thousands of miles forth . Now put your human expertise to exploit , without put your human seat in risk .
2 . Humanoid automaton take advantage of human environments and equipment .
Nothing beats a tank car for cross the desert , but what about crossing a living way ? Every human metropolis is plan for a very specific case of animal : homo sapiens . We humankind come in a very specific reach of size and weights , and our environment incline to have specific temperature , vibration and randomness limits — all of which simplify the trouble of design a golem . Humanoids are naturally suit to sail environments designed for human race ; they can take the air through doorways , acclivity stairs , and see over counters and piece of furniture .
Along with our cities , most military provision are designed for use by humans . That means a humanoid robot can wear human body armor , boots and disguise . In addition , it can can standard - issue weapons and ammo , removing a need for specially - designed arms . Humanoids could also potentially pilot human vehicles . Rather than create an self-governing vehicle from clams , just put a humanoid robot in the driver ’s fanny of a stock vehicle . And when a automaton team is on the go and under flak , it always helps to be capable to salvage enemy arm and improvise . The infrastructure is there , and humanoid robots exploit it .
3 . Humanoid robots are easy to aim .
War is largely extemporize , and that mean pick up novel tricks on the fly sheet . So , how do you teach a robot comrade how to defuse a fresh type of coffee - can landmine ? Without a grade in engineering , you belike do n’t . But give a humanoid robot , intuitive training approaches are available to regular soldiers . An easy but verbose method is to physically press the robot ’s limbs through the proper series of crusade . Alternately , take direct control through teleoperation and then perform the activity yourself . The robot then just need to remember how you did it .
Ideally , however , a robot can be prepare just like a person — by watching . Robots who learn by demo can be quick aim by average people who do not speak robot - ese or do any programming . That ’s because it ’s how we learn from each other . The trainer but performs the undertaking ( for example , a fly scissor charge ) and the automaton watch and intuit how to do it . android are much effective at learning by demonstration , thanks to that one - to - one mapping between its body and yours .
4 . Teamwork is easy between human beings and humanoids .
It is doubtful that robot army will operate entirely autonomously in the near future . Human - robot teams will in all probability be the average , as they are today . Therefore , it ’s important to ensure that human and robot allies can work together without stepping on each others ’ toe . And that means they ’ve have to have full communication .
Human combat teams communicate and cooperate using language and motion , and by paying care to each other ’s facial expressions and emotions . Robot warriors that recognize human body language will be able to make fast decisions in flashy , hazardous environments . Perhaps even more important , a human soldier should be able to realize what a automaton is thinking naturally , by reading its body language alternatively of looking up an error code in an pedagogy manual . Using the highly familiar human shape - factor creates a natural communicating channel that allows humanoids to cooperate with man in chaotic environment where split - second decision are the norm .
5 . The locals could potentially interact with humanoid robots .
War is becoming less about schematic combat on a mass scale and more about cultural awareness . Last month , President Obama unveiled plans to institutionalize hundreds of “ societal scientist ” along with soldiers to Iraq , to counsel the military on local custom . comparative to the faceless robots currently in use , a humanoid robot provides the chance for some kind of natural human interaction with non - combatants . Instead of an impersonal unmanned ground fomite bust up through walls or an unmanned aerial vehicle drop bomb from afar , humanoid automaton ( armed or unarmed ) could police areas wearing local attire , speaking the local language , and obeying local customs . How P.C.—or just freaky — is that ?
On the other hand , humanoid golem can be horribly terrifying .
Mind games are a part of every conflict . During World War II , aviator paint snarling teeth on the nose of their fighter woodworking plane . Nowadays ( and back then ) , bombs have funny messages written on them , like “ Boom shacka lacka , ” and “ You want fries with that ? ”
Now imagine the foe reaction on Robot D - Day , when thousands of crack - powered humanoid golem abut out of the crashing breaker , bullets plinking harmlessly from their razor - sharp gilt chest - denture as death metal blares from their metal mouth speaker grilles .
Terrified yet ? Well calm down , cissy ; humanoid robots are n’t on the battlefield , yet . But they might be soon , thanks to their raw ability to communicate and get together with humans , the repose with which they can operate in our environs and use our tools , and the terrible fear that blossoms in the affectionateness of man upon laying center on the great and frightful visage of the humanoid automaton state of war simple machine .
Machines Behaving Deadly : A hebdomad exploring the sometimes difficult kinship between man and technology . Edgar Guest writer Daniel H. Wilson earned a PhD in Robotics from Carnegie Mellon University . He is the author ofHow to subsist a Robot Uprisingand its sequelHow To Build a Robot Army . To learn more about him , visitwww.danielhwilson.com .
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