An opinion piece.ForeignPolicy.com has a very good article on unmanned systems (there is a registration wall, but it’s free). Written by Michael C. Horowitz, Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, The Looming Robotics Gap is full of interesting facts and figures. The only problem with the article is that its central premise – the United States military is in immediate danger of losing its technological edge – is a load of hooey.
The article below originally appeared in the Counter-IED Report.
Concerns are being expressed that all the counter-IED knowledge that’s been learned during the protracted wars against terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan will be lost if the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) is slashed or abolished under the proposed plan to scale back the organization.
As the unmanned community chases the Holy Grail of civilian applications, it is instructive to observe the diverse reactions to Amazon’s plans for UAV deliveries. Responses ranged from mocking satire to arguments for UGVs. Unmanned delivery is already happening in a few places. Below are links to some of the many reactions from around the world and on the web.
Recently, the above question was asked in Quora, a social media website. Below is my answer. As you will read, my primary motivation was in preventing people from forming onions based on superficial analysis and insufficient information.
Recently, there has been a bit of press about a Capabilities Advancement Demonstration of autonomous vehicles at TARDEC (Tank-Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center). My favorite headline about the demo so far is Is the U.S. developing a ROBOTIC army? (Daily Mail UK). Notice the attention-grabbing, alarm-generating capital letters for “ROBOTIC.” Read more
Ancient Romans looked at the remains of birds to decipher the future. Modern people –specifically those in the unmanned industry – look at government roadmaps. What does the latest Department of Defense (DoD) offering tell us about our upcoming prospects?
Biggest problems facing robot developers
Recently, I interviewed Rob Culver, Director of AMREL’s Business Development and Sales of Unmanned/Manned Vehicle Systems. Rob has done stints as a procurement officer, and in Special Projects Management Office at USASOC. After serving 23 years in the Army, Rob joined iRobot in 2005. He traces his lifelong interest in robotics to reading Robert A. Heinlein’s “Starship Trooper” and Douglas Adams “Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.”
My sense is that unmanned systems, especially ground vehicles, are at some kind of crossroads. The technology is advancing rapidly, but the land wars are winding down. The domestic market hasn’t increased to the point to make up for the slacking demand by the Department of Defense (DOD). What do you see as the biggest challenge to the industry?
Sometimes, a simple image contains a lot of info. For example, Dan Piraro’s “Bizarro” cartoon illustrates several real-world issues for unmanned systems, some of which are discussed in this blog:
You may not have had a chance to see AMREL’s new interoperability capability at AUVSI, but you can read about it on your free download. Just as our Flexpedient® technology revolutionized OCUs for UGVs, we think interoperable Small Lightweight Expansion Devices (SLED) will become standard for handheld applications. Click here.
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AMREL will demonstrate a pioneering interoperability capability for an Android/ARM device at AUVSI 2013 this August in Washington, D.C.
“This is really unique,” said Ron McMahan, AMREL’s Vice-President of Engineering Solutions. “No other company produces handheld or control devices that have the ability to switch applications in the field as efficiently and easily. One platform, multiple applications; that’s the story.”
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