Kamikaze Drones
August 9th, 2012Via: Army Technology:
From the earliest days of military bomb-disposal robotics, their very purpose embraced the possibility that they may be damaged or destroyed during their mission, while protecting the lives of humans who would otherwise be doing the job. But the great expense involved in their development and production meant that every precaution possible was taken to make sure they returned home safely.
The latest advances in military drones, however, see them deliberately designed to contravene Asimov’s third law of robotics, which demands self-protection so long as no human comes to harm and orders are obeyed.
Military robots can now be mass-produced so cheaply that it makes more economic sense to have them crash into enemy targets rather than engage them, or to trigger bombs and mines directly rather than from a safe distance.
While targeting on-board weapons is tricky and often requires the skills of multiple operators, direct impact needs only manned or automated navigation.
