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Robots get ready for battle

Soon robots will be supporting soldiers on the battlefield and will almost certainly pose a greater threat to the enemy than the plain old human soldier. Robocop might become more than just a figment of film!

This Mule ain’t no donkey

The Mule (Multifunctional Utility/Logistics and Equipment) ) is an autonomous unmanned ground combat vehicle developed by Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control for the United States Army’s Future Combat Systems program. It uses GPS laser and heat-recognition technology. It can fire Javelin anti-tank missiles and has a turret-mounted machine gun. It also has a digital “eyeball” with laser and heat-recognising target acquisition systems for aiming its weaponry.

Try pinning a tail on this Mule

The Mule uses GPS to navigate and localised perception to avoid objects like trees and buildings. It has 6 wheels which are on pneumatic legs, enabling it to climb over cars and barriers – not something the average human can manage!