Carry your bags,sir? Septic robotic load carrier

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/itn/20080904/video/vod-american-troops-to-get-a-new-robot-b-f1a0497.html

 

Thats pretty crazy! Looks almost animal-like in how it moves, and its very clever how it rights itself when that bloke goes to kick it over! Well, if someone'd won that Who Wants to be a Millionairre special the other day you could have it to carry your bergen... you'd have to make sure that people realise this thing is to carry additional kit for the section, and not let it be an excuse for not being fit enough to carry ones personal kit!

 

...and the inevitable parody:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=VXJZVZFRFJc

 

I find that thing quite scary... I still want one though.

 

This looks the most promising out of the "pack bot" crowd... at least on the surface. The concept has merit but the reality is our chain of command has already shown a proclivity to weigh troopies down with uneccesary gear so chances are given extra capacity like this, that trend will continue to ramp up. Personally, I like the idea of a breaching bot the best... sending a robot in to clear obstacles and gain initial entry to a defended building before exposing personnel to risk.

 

I'm a little thick but what does this thing actually have over say a section donkey?
donkey dead cheap
easier to feed
if it gets shot you can have donkey curry
probably easier to maintain
plus donkeys probably smarter than the robot.

disadvantage not much money in providing donkeys

 

Well you've already got the new-ish line of Foster-Miller TALON drones like the Sword variant. Get all the kinks worked out, add a bit of armour and send them in when you're guys don't really feel like it.

 

Good thoughts, although would it need an arrse bag to collect the spent fuel... if their larger bretheren passing my house are anything to go by the stuff falls out every 20 yards or so - bit of a combat indicator for Terry. How does the donkey take cover? Could post them to Shrivenham for a couple of months de-sensitising by the ERDA? Upon retirement they could be given to the moaning horse riders - a shorter steed gives less distance to fall and Afghan would make them immune to low flying Chinnok etc... you think this idea's got legs?

 

Been shown on here before and as someone said then it looks like two pikeys fighting over a sofa

 

Despite the obvious scope for hilarity, it is interesting that the US has followed through on the original "Mule" idea, and have obviously invested a significant amount of time and money. We don't do the money bit although time we're great at. I don't know how long they've been working on this but I saw a version of their "Mule" video in about 2000. At that time it was a little 4-wheel mini-moonbuggy affair. But the underlying principle was sound and intent good. Sometimes better to try and fail than not try at all. That's what R&D is all about. Troops carry too much weight and need even more to sustain ops. What is the equivalent UK programme aiming to reduce load while improving sustainability, and what progress is being made? Er, time marches on and it's slipped 4 years in the last 5.

 

Hmm... dung collection during movement would provide a perfect tasking for whichever private happened to be on his NCO's bad side...

 

Potential ability to travel without a handler seems to be its only real advantage of a pack animal.

 

I think this would also work better in an NBC environment, unless we design IPE in quadraped!

 

Maybe but costs per unit are much cheaper.

Unless you have to factor in the PETA pester/court case costs of course.

Can you imagine the overdone theatrical outrage that could be generated by pictures of the "poor things" .

Why not just breed bigger trogs?

 

And of course,not much scope for bestiality with the Metal Mickey version.