SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews is powered by your submissions, so send in your scoop. Only 18 submissions in the queue.
SoylentNews
The Register is reporting that the US Army has ordered a new round of wheeled, equipment hauling robots.
The Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport Increment II (S-MET II) is set to be built by American Rheinmetall Vehicles and HDT Expeditionary Systems, the Army said. The pair were awarded a combined total of $22 million for eight prototype vehicles to be delivered at an unspecified future date.
There is also an official press release:
The second increment seeks to double that payload capacity while adding several improvements identified by Solders during evaluation and operation. Those improvements include: [...]
Previously:
(2017) US Army Brings Robotic Vehicles and UAVs Together in Combat Demonstration
This discussion was created by hubie (1068) for logged-in users only, but now has been archived.
No new comments can be posted.
US Army Orders Next-gen Robot Mule
|
Log In/Create an Account
| Top
| 4 comments
| Search Discussion
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
Your mode of life will be changed for the better because of new developments.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by VLM on Wednesday October 02, @11:16PM (3 children)
It's the world's cutest little HEMMT aka M977
Or its a SMSS with an extra axle (aka two more wheels)
I was expecting something a little more space marine looking or Star Wars looking, but its basically a radio controlled micro HEMMT
When people hear about this they will likely think of the LS3, but they shut down the project a decade ago. IIRC the main problem with the LS3 project is it was punishingly loud so it was only useful in rear areas where trucks work better and are cheaper and more reliable and more capable.
Cool idea, useful.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by canopic jug on Thursday October 03, @06:17AM (1 child)
You were probably thinking something like rifle mounted robot dogs [futurism.com] running around? Those are apparently already deployed, but just not getting much coverage.
Money is not free speech. Elections should not be auctions.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by canopic jug on Thursday October 03, @07:50AM
Money is not free speech. Elections should not be auctions.
(Score: 2) by bussdriver on Friday October 04, @08:29AM
Yes, those LS3 were a total failure. The other problem was they broke down way too easily and weren't able to handle being shot much either. (plus standing out with exhaust, smell and extremely loud. people don't realize how stupidly loud they were.) A donkey was way better and cheaper and more quiet and plentiful or a horse.
Seems to me everybody missed tiny smart drones like they did smart phones. A small truck acting like an aircraft carrier with anti-drone defenses could have 100s of tiny drones able to go a mile away with small shaped charges could target and destroy most everything cheaper. The current war is proving how effective radio controlled cheap drones are more effective than anything developed in modern times. A smart missile costs maybe as much as a whole swarm of drones or as much as a fleet of trucks of swarms depending on the distance and size.