U.S. Military Working on Flesh Eating Robot
That's right, the government is working on a robot that eats organic material for fuel.
Fox News is reporting that Robotic Technology Inc., a Maryland company, is under contract with the Pentagon to construct a steam-powered robot that fuels itself by eating organic material, whether it's wood, grass, the neighbor's annoying dog or the actual neighbor himself. That's right, this robot, called EATR (Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot), sounds like something ripped straight out of sci-fi horror movies, consuming human flesh to carry out its mission. However, there's nothing fictional about this metal monster, but just don't expect to see something menacing with metal talons or gaping mechanical jaws.
"The purpose of the Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot (EATR) (patent pending) project is to develop and demonstrate an autonomous robotic platform able to perform long-range, long-endurance missions without the need for manual or conventional re-fueling, which would otherwise preclude the ability of the robot to perform such missions," reads the company website. "The system obtains its energy by foraging--engaging in biologically-inspired, organism-like, energy-harvesting behavior which is the equivalent of eating. It can find, ingest, and extract energy from biomass in the environment (and other organically-based energy sources), as well as use conventional and alternative fuels (such as gasoline, heavy fuel, kerosene, diesel, propane, coal, cooking oil, and solar) when suitable."
As Fox News pointed out, the robot would serve extremely well for the military, capable of roaming battlefields and other hostile environments for months--or perhaps even for years--without having to be manually refueled or serviced thanks to its unique system. By using the EATR platform, the government could build many useful tools including a mobile unmanned gunner, a roving medical center, a transport, or what could spark a first generation of Terminators that will eventually eat all of mankind.
Robotic Technology plans to commercialize EATR in addition to its contract with the Pentagon. Check out the company's full overview here in PDF format.
-
Previous News Article
Ford Developing Laser Ignition... -
Next News Article
Blu-ray Beats Recession; Sales...
13 photos
Never happened if no one's left to tell the story.
Will it beg for table scraps?
An armed autonomous robot that eats biomass.
If this were in a Terminator movie, we'd all be saying "they'd never do something that dumb in real life".
Will it eat other EATRs for energy??? Could endup with a skynet/decepticon future
Skynet is real! We must stop them before it's too late.
Seriously though, this is getting out of hand. It's madding!
I knew, movies are just a view of the actual future. These robots will get a taste for human flesh and we will be doomed, DOOMED I SAY!!!
Nothing an emp grenade can't handle
If they report it on Faux newz, it must be true...
It's barely feasible for animals to eat organic matter for energy, how much energy could this thing possibly get? If it's a robot, I call BS. Of course, if it's not really a robot, but some frankenstein-cyborg GMO combo from Monsanto, then this could actually be real. Otherwise, extracting energy from organic matter will take more energy than it creates.
False!!!!
This whole rumor started over at the Huffington Post and then Fox picked it up as if it was fact. The machine in question can only process vegetable matter.
HERE is the official press release,
Here is the developers site.
fox pick up something random and post it as actual news? there's a shock
False!!!! This whole rumor started over at the Huffington Post and then Fox picked it up as if it was fact. The machine in question can only process vegetable matter. HERE is the official press release, Here is the developers site.
At least some one can post some facts and not just run with BS scooped from another news site. Good job! Maybe you should be the one doing the news here.
False!!!! This whole rumor started over at the Huffington Post and then Fox picked it up as if it was fact. The machine in question can only process vegetable matter. HERE is the official press release, Here is the developers site.
What's funny is that the only real reason it won't eat flesh is because of the Geneva convention, not necessarily because its technologically not possible. I could just imagine terrorist taking in a stray and chagning it's programming to target the infidels of the world. Kinda like what they do to pit bulls in Compton.
so thats were my tax money is going and here i thought it would go to my children's school's. Damn Schwarzenegger cut the school budgets again and doubled dmv costs again. now hes looking for a scapegoat. immigrants gasp!?!?!!? they must be the cause not an overinflated military budget or a retarded governor.
I hate Toms for making me click on this stupid article
I can just see it now, a pack of survivors underground listening to the sound of people screaming as they're being digested by robots, wondering WHOS {&*^%ing stupid ass idea was it to make robots that are powered by eating people!!!??
I actually looked at the PDF file and there is no mention of eating any dead bodies so somebody made that up. Even if it were to be true I would find it horrible as it may mistake a coma person over a dead one. So ya not such a great idea.
The company is on the right track of self-sustaining machine that can stay out in the battlefield for months or years.
so thats were my tax money is going and here i thought it would go to my children's school's. Damn Schwarzenegger cut the school budgets again and doubled dmv costs again. now hes looking for a scapegoat. immigrants gasp!?!?!!? they must be the cause not an overinflated military budget or a retarded governor.
Since when does the state of california have a military budget??
Who knows, could end up being a crap eating robot
I don't know about any of you but I wouldn't want these robot zombies near me on a battlefield. Robot: "Warning low on fuel" ME: "Well your going to have to wait were under fire" Robot: "Finding closest fuel source" Me: The only thing here is you and me there's nothing you can.... oh wait... Me: arghhhhh!
I would also like to add to your post Wayoffbase. The governor also has nothing to do with state spending. Thats the job of your local legislatures up in Sacramento. Ohhhh wait they still havnt passed a budget that was due 8 weeks ago. Last year they were 5 months late.
@p00dle-h3r0, It doesnt eat flesh because the the machine that creates energy is based on in the biomass digestor and it converts cellulose to energy.
I know I'm going to catch hell for saying this... but
fox pick up something random and post it as actual news? there's a shock
This has become a trend amongst all news sources. MSNBC is the biggest offender and they have been caught twice reporting Blogs as news. CNN has its own batch of problems because they can only get their ratings up when they report on a stars death.
Honestly, journalism died about 15 years ago. Its all propaganda and POV opinion puffs now.
"U.S. Military Working on Flesh Eating Robot", isn't that what service men are now? Flesh eating robots? ;p
***insert hate mail now**
woohoo a mobile garbage disposal
Who knows, could end up being a crap eating robot
Not as far-fetched as you might think. Just extract the methane, then you have your fuel.
It's already happening in sewage plants around the world.
Yes but it would take a much larger machine to do that. If you just examine the schematics youll see that its not much more complicated then simple combustion. Considering that combusting flesh takes more energy then it will provide.
HERE flip through some of these pages.
ok, so it's not "their mission" to have them eat human bodies, or humans, but program the robots with AI and they will do what they need to survive. THANK YOU US ARMY!!!
I find it very disturbing how a tech site has gained a large Luddite population over the past few months.
Can this robot differentiate between an apple and an Apple? Jobs would be so furious
Can this robot differentiate between an apple and an Apple? Jobs would be so furious
LoL, here's the Apple reference I was looking for
Other than that, never fear the Robot Doomsday. Us, humans are so proficient at destroying stuff that no army of robots could ever match us
will it eat pussy?