Biomass-Eating Military Robot Is a Vegetarian, Company Says

[Spookie Monster]

Biomass-Eating Military Robot Is a Vegetarian, Company Says

A steam-powered, biomass-eating military robot being designed for the Pentagon is a vegetarian, its maker says.

But that's exactly what they WOULD say, now ISN'T IT?

I particularly enjoyed this line from one of the company's recent press releases:

Desecration of the dead is a war crime under Article 15 of the Geneva Conventions, and is certainly not something sanctioned by DARPA, Cyclone or RTI.

Certainly not!  What was I thinking?

Incidentally, here's the page outlining the project on the company's website.

Enjoy!

Spel

They tell us their scheme for some saviors munching!

[Revolverman]

this robot sounds like some kinda undead horror.

[Indigo]

The advantages to the military are that the robot would be extremely flexible in fuel sources and could roam on its own for months, even years, without having to be refueled or serviced.

That's incredible.

EATR, slayer of twigs and grass clippings.

I also thought the Carnivorus Clock would make an interesting birthday present.  Or the table that catches and kills mice.

You come up with the craziest things, Spel

[Spookie Monster]

You come up with the craziest things, Spel

Thanks!  I think... ;D

One thing that struck me about these little droids is that people seem most concerned about what they'd do to the dead.  Now, not that I'm in favor of the desecration of corpses or anything, but what about the living?  I mean, imagine a pack of these things roaming through a worn-torn countryside in Africa.  On their way into a new region they inadvertently roam through a village's fields and eat about half of the sorghum and most of the young beans and yams that they find growing there.  What are the village's subsistence farmers supposed to do?  Are they supposed to wait for eighteen months for a compensation check to arrive and in the meanwhile starve to death?  This is the type of thing that I'd be most concerned about...

Spel

Its logic waged war, ate their food...

[The Overlord]

*Overlord has just realized this is the actual version of the robot horror genre that's been popularized in Terminator, the Matrix, and others...rampant AI machines are going to eat the planet*  :-\

[ZK]

Damn robot ate my gladiolas and roses AGAIN! Time for my EATR Spray!

[TevarTahalshia]

Another forum I'm on also had this same discussion on what the machine could use for fuel a couple months back.   I'm not surprised the Military had to make it clear the 'bot wouldn't eat the dead automatically.

After all... Things Happen in warzones, and they don't always follow the Code of Conduct.