What About Those Robots?

Used with permission.

One of the tropes that are very popular in science fiction romance right now is cyborgs. Lost Valyr introduces some new characters to my Garradian Universe, including some sentient military robots. So I thought it would be fun to look at what’s real with robots today. 

One of the Marines’ latest weapon is a remote-controlled robot with a machine gun. The Marines are testing mutts (multi-utility tactical transports). Mutts are each about the size of an ATV and operated remotely with a joystick and tablet. Though they were initially designed to carry food, water, and supplies, the Marines have added a deadly .50 caliber machine gun to each one. 

The military is heading toward getting rid of the remote control and creating autonomous AI Mutts for future warfare. Antonopoulos military robots won’t need sleep or nourishment, they’ll require little maintenance, will probably be able to repair themselves, and they’ll always be ready for combat. 

Weaponized drones will fill the air, and amphibious hovercrafts will storm across rugged terrain as swiftly as they do the sea, with their cameras and sensors delivering exact imaging. However, we won’t be seeing any anime type gargantuan military robots in the future.  

Actual research conducted on giant humanoid robots concluded the larger and heavier a robot is, the more energy it needs. Huge military robots would need a lot of energy and they’d run down after about an hour on the battlefield. They could be powered by diesel engines but those are too noisy, too loud for them to accompany Marines or Soldiers on stealth missions. 

Also, military robots don’t need to be humanoid, they are best when small and efficient. Bomber drones and simple robots with guns are better at getting the job done. There is just no place for huge humanoid robots in warfare.

Autonomous vehicles are another type of military robot. The US Air Force tested a pilotless F-16 that executes strikes by Itself. It autonomously flew in formation and responded to the threats of a ground attack mission. The demonstration was successful as the autonomous F-16 met three main objectives: 

• It autonomously used available assets (information around it) and mission priorities to plan and implement air-to-ground strike missions.
• It reacted perfectly to changing threats while automatically handling contingencies for capability failures, communication losses, and deviations in its route.
• It supported its Open Mission Systems (OMS) software integration environment and met all USAF standards, guaranteeing that it could integrate software components developed by multiple providers quickly.

Along with unmanned aircraft, military drones, and robots with guns, in about twenty years, our armed forces will use:

• Robots with exact camouflage capabilities in visible light. (basically invisibility).
• Self-repairing robots or ones that will access objects from its environment as replacement parts.
• Biological robots. 

Hopefully, these war machines of the future will make combat less deadly for humans.

Lost Valyr blurb:

She’s a scientist in the wrong galaxy. He’s an alien in the wrong century. Can their love reset a terrifying future? If you like heart-pounding chemistry, ragtag bands of misfits, and action-packed space battles, then you’ll love Pauline Baird Jones’ rollicking romance. Tap the link to buy the book today! 

And an Excerpt: 

It was an irony his former masters would never learn: the super robot soldier abhorred violence. How that crept into his programming, only CabeX knew. When they’d taken the ship, each human on board had received a judgment of mercy or death. Each freed robot was allowed to speak for or against the humans. The ones that lived probably still didn’t know why, since it all happened at the processor level. 

And it had definitely enhanced the reputation of Najer. To be surrounded by the most terrifying robots ever conceived, your fate decided out of your sight and sound? Even the ships attracted by the amount of the bounty offered for their capture were reluctant to take on CabeX and his Najer. 

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Hope you enjoyed the look at robots and the excerpt! Look for Lost Vaylr: Project Enterprise 7 in just over a month!

Perilously yours,

Pauline