Army Preps Robot Mule for Afghan Action

[Feuer Frei!]

http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/dangerroom/2011/07/MFC_SMSS_photo1_h.jpg

Meet Lockheed Martin’s Squad Mission Support System, a $500,000 robotic mule. If it can get the gear off the backs of soldiers during an ongoing trial run in New Mexico without overturning or driving off into the sunset, the Army wants to send it to Afghanistan.
No wonder: deployed soldiers have dozens of pounds of batteries, ammo, communications equipment and other kit they have to carry on their backs, on top of heavy armor. That’s why the military’s enamored with a variety of remotely controlled and even wearable machines (http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/10/wearable-robots-could-solve-soldiers-hauling-woes/) to lighten the load. Some are deeply quirky, designed to resemble a headless dog (http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/04/video-militarys-robotic-pack-mule-battles-the-mud/).
The Squad Mission Support System ain’t one of them. It looks as conventional as any six wheeled hauler you’d see on an admittedly large loading dock, the size of a car with a flat back, readying it to strap up to 600 lbs. worth of equipment (http://www.lockheedmartin.com/news/press_releases/2010/MFC_102510_LMsSMSSAutonomousVehicletoDemo.html) onboard. It uses ladar, or laser radar, to identify the unit it needs to follow (http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=defense&id=news/asd/2011/04/12/06.xml) and drives off autonomously behind.

By the fall, the Army wants to send the vehicle to Afghanistan. Only one problem: it may not really be ready for the rough terrain.



Even the more exotic robo-mules have trouble with steep inclines (http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2007/07/video-robotic-p/) and deep mud. Afghanistan has a lack of paved roads, which prove troublesome for human driven vehicles to navigate. Its eastern regions are especially hilly. Inside Defense (http://insidedefense.com/) reported that Army testing officials concede that the Squad Mission Support System most likely needs to be used only on “relatively level terrain.” It remains to be seen how level “relatively” is — that’s being determined now at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
One advantage of the system: it can recharge soldiers’ battery packs while it hauls.
But even if the Squad Mission Support System doesn’t work as advertised, Lockheed has other gear-hauling tech in development. Instead of a vehicle, it’s built an exoskeleton called the HULC (http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/10/exoskeletons-walk-the-floor-at-armys-d-c-expo/) — the Human Universal Load Carrier — that should haul up to 200 lbs. worth of equipment on its own, as well as prepare for a fight against the Queen of the aliens (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqzHdKqZAmo). (Competitor Raytheon has its own exoskeleton, which it bills as a real life Iron Man armor (http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/09/new-video-hypes-real-life-iron-man-outfit/).) Which system should any self-respecting robot fan root for?


SOURCE (http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/07/army-preps-robot-mule-for-afghan-action/)

[Oberon]

PACK MULE!!!

Anyway, in-joke aside. I'm looking forward to seeing how Big Dog does when it comes into service, it looks to be a very promising design.

[Rilder]

I'm pretty sure that if the cold war was still going the Russians would laugh in our faces over the Robo-Mules and instead use actual mules to carry their stuff.

[Skybird]

I'm pretty sure that if the cold war was still going the Russians would laugh in our faces over the Robo-Mules and instead use actual mules to carry their stuff.

That was exactly my first thought also!

[MH]

The headless dog looks promising.
Its great to have something to carry your stuff in rough terrain.

[TLAM Strike]

Pffft!

Stargate has had one for years!
http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/811/fred1.jpg

[Madox58]

Half a Million Dollars to haul 600 hundred pounds.
:nope:

I've seen 'Landscapeing crews' around here hauling WAY more then that for WAY less!
And most of them are probably armed and capable of fighting!

[Sledgehammer427]

drop it off the back of an airplane.
if it survives, then by all means let the army have their Mule

its like one of the joint chiefs was playing Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 and went, "ooo, I'd like to have on of those"

[papa_smurf]

Hope its IED proof....

[Penguin]

Half a Million Dollars to haul 600 hundred pounds.
:nope:


Yup, this is insane!
Not even able to carry more than 3 men if necessary :nope:


@Rilder & Sky, this reminds me of this joke:


When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they quickly discovered that ballpoint pens would not work in zero gravity.
To combat the problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 billion to develop a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface including glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to 300 degrees Celsius.





The Russians used a pencil.

[kraznyi_oktjabr]

Yup, this is insane!
Not even able to carry more than 3 men if necessary :nope:


@Rilder & Sky, this reminds me of this joke:When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they quickly discovered that ballpoint pens would not work in zero gravity.
To combat the problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 billion to develop a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface including glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to 300 degrees Celsius.





The Russians used a pencil.
:haha: Wouldn't be surprised if this was actually completely true.