Terminator Tech Isn't as Far-Off as You Think

Do you remember seeing your first Terminator movie, and getting that creepy, itchy, uncomfortable feeling at the thought of a piece of autonomous intelligent machinery killing humans with electronic efficiency? It's not quite time to worry about that possible future yet--but there are a number of developments in robot evolution that might give you pause for thought.

Since first used in World War I (yes, even back then), robots have become an increasingly useful tool on the battlefield. Back then they were simple devices like the remote-controlled tracked Goliath robot (See video below.) developed in Germany to act as a "smart mine." There are certain situations that are too dangerous for a human, hence the need for expendable robots. And there are some things that a robot is actually better at.

That's why we hear so much about Predators and Global Hawks nowadays. Both are unmanned aerial vehicles that can be programmed to fly to specific areas and gather intelligence, loitering there for hours--all the while putting themselves at a risk you'd never expose a human-crewed aircraft to. (See video below.) And with the addition of rockets, the UAVs become Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles--Predators carrying Hellfire rockets are currently being used in a fight against the Taliban in border zones of Pakistan.

Then think of the ground-based robots like Talon and Swords (Video below.)--these systems are seeing deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan today. They're essentially smart systems with human remote-control authority--small tracked vehicles with a mechanical tool arm that is useful for investigating suspicious devices, and in the case of Swords of firing rounds at concealed targets or to detonate IEDs. They're effective, they expand the capabilities of the military, and they save human lives.

As such, you may think these 'bots are a long way from the human-destroying Terminators. And they are, in the main--despite an odd moment when a Swords robot was reported to have fired on its own controllers. But take a look at Big Dog.

It's been designed to act as an autonomous troop-assist robot, and it's smart. Damn smart. Smart enough to be able to trot over almost any terrain, even slippery ice or steep inclines, all by itself--and carrying a pack load that surpasses what a human could heft.