New Armed Robot Prepared for War

Video of MAARS in action:

The company behind only armed robots in Iraq is launching a new model of machine gun-toting, built from scratch for the battle. DANGER ROOM has exclusive pictures and footage.

During the early days of the Iraq war, at Foster-Miller roboteers bombs that they have modified the engine, so they carry machine guns, grenade launcher, or rocket.

After years of safety testing and modifications, three of the deadly sword (”special weapons observation remote reconnaissance direct action system”) robot was recently deployed to Iraq.

But even now, security concerns (among others) have kept the machinery of a shot fired in battle. But Foster-Miller is rolling the new model armed robot – one that comes with an added extra, built-in precautions, and has been designed from the start to fight.

MAARS (Modular Advanced Armed Robotic System) features new software controls, which allows a robot driver to select fire zone and there was no fire. The idea is to keep the robots from accidentally shooting flesh and blood of America. A mechanical range fan also keeps MAARS guns’ pointed away from friendly positions.

This robot is also equipped with a GPS transmitter, so it can be seen in – and exploit – American battlefield mapping programs, such as tanks and Humvees. These “Blue Force Tracker” has been credited with dramatically reducing friendly-fire incidents during the Iraq war. MAARS comes with an additional fail-safe, which will not allow it to fire directly at the control unit itself.

Nor does the robot should always carry a gun. A mechanical arm can be redeemed “in a few minutes” to guns, according to the program manager Charles Dean Marrs, a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel. Which means the robot can be used to “IED check, open the door, even dragging the victim.”

Tracks can also be removed, and changed out for wheels; the better for urban operations, as possible. Combined with a lower center of gravity, Dean believes MAARS will be about 50% faster than its predecessor, which rumbled over streets at 5 miles per hour. Here is a brief video MAARS in action: