Robots In Defense

This book provides an insightful introduction to the most important field of military innovation for the 21st century—robotic and drone weaponry. For centuries, warring nations have sought to lower the risk to highly vulnerable humans on the battlefield, typically by providing protective armor, making soldiers' positions more difficult to detect, or by striking from locations safe from retaliation. Autonomous weaponry has now reached the point where robotic systems can perform some key tasks that previously required direct human involvement. Military Robots and Drones: A Reference Handbook introduces the lay person to a highly specialized topic, providing the foundation necessary for further study in this field. Appropriate for high school and college-level students, as well as general readers with an interest in the topic, the author explains the many military applications of robotics as well as current limitations and disadvantages. The book also provides a general history of robotic warfare; examines key individuals, agencies, documents, and models; discusses controversies within the field of robotic and drone warfare, such as ethical considerations; and explains how increased reliance on robotics has affected the structure and strategy of the military.

Increasingly, world governments are seeing the benefits of using robots in wars instead of foot soldiers. In addition, robots are used by law enforcement agencies around the world. What do these robots do? How do they work? How can replacing soldiers and police officers with drones and other robots save lives? These questions and more are answered in this exciting volume. Engaging sidebars, full-color photographs, and fascinating fact boxes add to this in-depth look at advancements in defense robotics, and a list of discussion questions challenges readers to look at this issue from a new point of view.

This monograph examines a growing culture of casualty aversion, and its effects on the need for military robots. It makes a comparison between the growing influence and effectiveness of airpower in World War II, and the current rise of military robot interaction. The theories, capabilities, acceptance, and availability of airpower made it a vital part of Allied victory in World War II. Similarly, the early theories of military robots have come to fruition, their capabilities match current military needs, they have been accepted by the U.S. public and military, and they are cheaper and more available than ever before. Military robots are on the cusp of creating a shift in the way war is fought, the same as airpower shifted warfare in the middle of the twentieth century. These factors, combined with the aforementioned casualty aversion, make military robots the fighting force of the future.The beginning of the twenty-first century has brought a number of changes to the art of operational military planning. The United States Army, in particular, moved from a doctrine focused on defeating a known monolithic enemy to one that espouses more flexibility and adaptability in its forces. Concurrent with this doctrinal evolution are astounding advances in technology that affect both the battlefield and the home front. Military robots are able to perform many of the duties that once took one or more soldiers to do, enabling those soldiers to stay out of harm's way. Increasing communications and media capabilities have put near-real-time battlefield video into the homes of U.S. citizens. This modern technology has democratized access to information about war and its casualties, while at the same time making warfare itself safer for the U.S. soldiers. These two influences of technology have reached a point of synthesis where the technology is capable of and the citizens are adamant about minimizing human casualties. The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of casualty aversion in the United States, examine a historical case of technology affecting the battlefield, investigate the current and near-future capabilities of military robots, and determine the timeliness of incorporating robots into operational planning and execution in a casualty averse environment.1. Introduction 2. Historical Case Study: Early Aviation 3. Modern Case Study: Military Robots 4. Analysis: Military Robots at the Decisive Point 5. The Way Ahead: How to Incorporate Military Robots at the Operational Level 6. Conclusion

“[Singer's] enthusiasm becomes infectious . . . Wired for War is a book of its time: this is strategy for the Facebook generation.” —Foreign Affairs “An engrossing picture of a new class of weapon that may revolutionize future wars. . .” —Kirkus Reviews P. W. Singer explores the great­est revolution in military affairs since the atom bomb: the dawn of robotic warfare We are on the cusp of a massive shift in military technology that threatens to make real the stuff of I, Robot and The Terminator. Blending historical evidence with interviews of an amaz­ing cast of characters, Singer shows how technology is changing not just how wars are fought, but also the politics, economics, laws, and the ethics that surround war itself. Travelling from the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan to modern-day "skunk works" in the midst of suburbia, Wired for War will tantalise a wide readership, from military buffs to policy wonks to gearheads.

In the wake of two extended wars, Western militaries find themselves looking to the future while confronting amorphous nonstate threats and shrinking defense budgets. The 2015 Kingston Conference on International Security (KCIS) examined how robotics and autonomous systems that enhance soldier effectiveness may offer attractive investment opportunities for developing a more efficient force capable of operating effectively in the future environment. This monograph offers 3 chapters derived from the KCIS and explores the drivers influencing strategic choices associated with these technologies and offers preliminary policy recommendations geared to advance a comprehensive technology investment strategy. In addition, the publication offers insight into the ethical challenges and potential positive moral implications of using robots on the modern battlefield.

Soldier-robot teams will be an important component of future battle spaces, creating a complex but potentially more survivable and effective combat force. The complexity of the battlefield of the future presents its own problems. The variety of robotic systems and the almost infinite number of possible military missions create a dilemma for researchers who wish to predict human-robot interactions (HRI) performance in future environments. Human-Robot Interactions in Future Military Operations provides an opportunity for scientists investigating military issues related to HRI to present their results cohesively within a single volume. The issues range from operators interacting with small ground robots and aerial vehicles to supervising large, near-autonomous vehicles capable of intelligent battlefield behaviors. The ability of the human to 'team' with intelligent unmanned systems in such environments is the focus of the volume. As such, chapters are written by recognized leaders within their disciplines and they discuss their research in the context of a broad-based approach. Therefore the book allows researchers from differing disciplines to be brought up to date on both theoretical and methodological issues surrounding human-robot interaction in military environments. The overall objective of this volume is to illuminate the challenges and potential solutions for military HRI through discussion of the many approaches that have been utilized in order to converge on a better understanding of this relatively complex concept. It should be noted that many of these issues will generalize to civilian applications as robotic technology matures. An important outcome is the focus on developing general human-robot teaming principles and guidelines to help both the human factors design and training community develop a better understanding of this nascent but revolutionary technology. Much of the research within the book is based on the Human Research and Engineering Directorate (HRED), U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) 5-year Army Technology Objective (ATO) research program. The program addressed HRI and teaming for both aerial and ground robotic assets in conjunction with the U.S. Army Tank and Automotive Research and Development Center (TARDEC) and the Aviation and Missile Development Center (AMRDEC) The purpose of the program was to understand HRI issues in order to develop and evaluate technologies to improve HRI battlefield performance for Future Combat Systems (FCS). The work within this volume goes beyond the research results to encapsulate the ATO's findings and discuss them in a broader context in order to understand both their military and civilian implications. For this reason, scientists conducting related research have contributed additional chapters to widen the scope of the original research boundaries.

An entire robot army does not exist, but robots are being used more frequently by militaries around the world to keep soldiers out of harm's way. Readers learn this and other fascinating facts about robots in the military thanks to engaging text that is enhanced by informative fact boxes. Visual examples of the kinds of robots employed by the military are included in the form of captivating, full-color photographs. The eye-catching design and exciting text show readers that learning about STEM, science, technology, engineering, and math, can be fun.

Soldier-robot teams will be an important component of future battle spaces, creating a complex but potentially more survivable and effective combat force. The complexity of the battlefield of the future presents its own problems. The variety of robotic systems and the almost infinite number of possible military missions create a dilemma for researchers who wish to predict human-robot interactions (HRI) performance in future environments. Human-Robot Interactions in Future Military Operations provides an opportunity for scientists investigating military issues related to HRI to present their results cohesively within a single volume. The issues range from operators interacting with small ground robots and aerial vehicles to supervising large, near-autonomous vehicles capable of intelligent battlefield behaviors. The ability of the human to 'team' with intelligent unmanned systems in such environments is the focus of the volume. As such, chapters are written by recognized leaders within their disciplines and they discuss their research in the context of a broad-based approach. Therefore the book allows researchers from differing disciplines to be brought up to date on both theoretical and methodological issues surrounding human-robot interaction in military environments. The overall objective of this volume is to illuminate the challenges and potential solutions for military HRI through discussion of the many approaches that have been utilized in order to converge on a better understanding of this relatively complex concept. It should be noted that many of these issues will generalize to civilian applications as robotic technology matures. An important outcome is the focus on developing general human-robot teaming principles and guidelines to help both the human factors design and training community develop a better understanding of this nascent but revolutionary technology. Much of the research within the book is based on the Human Research and Engineering Directorate (HRED), U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) 5-year Army Technology Objective (ATO) research program. The program addressed HRI and teaming for both aerial and ground robotic assets in conjunction with the U.S. Army Tank and Automotive Research and Development Center (TARDEC) and the Aviation and Missile Development Center (AMRDEC) The purpose of the program was to understand HRI issues in order to develop and evaluate technologies to improve HRI battlefield performance for Future Combat Systems (FCS). The work within this volume goes beyond the research results to encapsulate the ATO's findings and discuss them in a broader context in order to understand both their military and civilian implications. For this reason, scientists conducting related research have contributed additional chapters to widen the scope of the original research boundaries.