Pentagon’s Project ‘Avatar'

[Dave Schwartz]

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/02/darpa-sci-fi/#more-72695

Pentagon’s Project ‘Avatar’: Same as the Movie, but With Robots Instead of Aliens

Soldiers practically inhabiting the mechanical bodies of androids, who will take the humans’ place on the battlefield. Or sophisticated tech that spots a powerful laser ray, then stops it from obliterating its target.

If you’ve got Danger Room’s taste in movies, you’ve probably seen both ideas on the big screen. Now Darpa, the Pentagon’s far-out research arm, wants to bring ‘em into the real world.

In the agency’s $2.8 billion budget for 2013, unveiled on Monday, they’ve allotted $7 million for a project titled “Avatar.” The project’s ultimate goal, not surprisingly, sounds a lot like the plot of the same-named (but much more expensive) flick.

According the agency, “the Avatar program will develop interfaces and algorithms to enable a soldier to effectively partner with a semi-autonomous bi-pedal machine and allow it to act as the soldier’s surrogate.”

[Greyfox]

I can see the war of the future now.
China sends 100,000 robots against the west's 100,000 robots.
People are not involved on the battle field.
The one with the most toys left standing wins and claims subservance from the other side.

[Dave Schwartz]

Foxie,

Well, not exactly. I see it as a war of money. Kind of like an MMPRPG with big armies.

You keep building robots and pounding the other side. The one that can't afford to make them fast enough begins to weaken and the enemy gets nearer and nearer to the central command. Eventually one side simply can no longer afford to put up a defense and is faced with the choice to surrender or be completely annihilated.

[Dick Schmidt]

One phrase that caught my eye: "Darpa, the Pentagon’s far-out research arm". Funny how a reporter's bias always seems to sneak into any article. Far out? Maybe, but some of those far out projects worked out rather well. The drones that are flying over Afghanistan right now are a DARPA project. So are the cute little torpedos that cruse about clearing mines for the navy. One other project that was completely blue sky, impractical and useless that DARPA came up with is now called the Internet.

BTW, in a war of robots, I think it only lasts until the losing side resorts to atomic weapons. Then things get ugly.

Dick


To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.

[johnhannibalsmith]

...
BTW, in a war of robots, I think it only lasts until the losing side resorts to atomic weapons. ...

Or until a bunch of nerds from Anonymous hack into them. :D

[Shackleford]

I want to see Real Steel in real life. Giant complicated rock em' sock em' robots fighting each other.

[IrishRail76]

Foxie,

Well, not exactly. I see it as a war of money. Kind of like an MMPRPG with big armies.

You keep building robots and pounding the other side. The one that can't afford to make them fast enough begins to weaken and the enemy gets nearer and nearer to the central command. Eventually one side simply can no longer afford to put up a defense and is faced with the choice to surrender or be completely annihilated.


Dave, you are spot on. It plays out a lot like the novel "1984."

[Robert Goren]

Foxie,

Well, not exactly. I see it as a war of money. Kind of like an MMPRPG with big armies.

You keep building robots and pounding the other side. The one that can't afford to make them fast enough begins to weaken and the enemy gets nearer and nearer to the central command. Eventually one side simply can no longer afford to put up a defense and is faced with the choice to surrender or be completely annihilated.Wasn't that how the cold war was won? The USSR could not keep up because it didn't have the money.

[GameTheory]

Wasn't that how the cold war was won? The USSR could not keep up because it didn't have the money.No, it couldn't have been, because Reagan would then have to get some credit. Didn't you know that they were just about to topple anyway, no matter what we did? I heard about it right here on this forum, so it must be true...