Like the rest of the world, our military is a bit enamored with robots at the moment: come this summer, the US Navy will also be testing out the Shipboard Autonomous Fire-fighting Robot—SAFFiR—built by Virginia Tech and several other universities.
SAFFir will be tested aboard the decommissioned USS Shadwell, which the Navy routinely sets ablaze in order to test new equipment. According to BBC, the bots are expected to be able to complete a variety of actions, including balancing, picking up or dragging a fire hose, using said fire hose to spray water over a fire, and turning the required valves. SAFFir bots are also equipped with a sophisticated vision system, allowing them to search for survivors.
The Navy will be testing out two versions of the system, one that will stand around 5ft and another taller, more advanced unit. Both were developed to resist an intense amount of heat for “longer periods than human fire-fighters,” according to theOffice of Naval Research.
USS Shadwell
The bots should prove useful, though they’re definitely not the most sophisticated new toys our military is working on. DARPA’s currently testing and developing a whole slew of battlefield bots, triage bots, and robotics that can make super-soldiers. We’re also refining “vanishing” tech and smart uniforms, and DARPA has recently created a new unit devoted to studying the connections between biology and engineering, man and machine.
…I’m not saying cyborg research but you have to admit that sounds a lot like cyborg research. You know, not to be paranoid or anything.
Source BBC
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