Pentagon Explores Using Segways in Battle

NEW YORK (AP) -- It's called the Segway Human Transporter, but the Pentagon is drafting the two-wheeled scooter as part of a plan to develop battlefield robots that think on their own and communicate with troops.

The program is still in the research phase, so the self-balancing scooters aren't expected to report to boot camp anytime soon.

So far, university researchers armed with Pentagon funding have programmed Segway robots that can open doors, avoid obstacles, and chase soccer balls _ all without human control.

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oh yea....that sounds promising!

www.bikexprt.com/witness/product/bushfalls.htm

Wouldn't a rock stop a segway pretty well? And I'm guessing that water would screw up the gyroscopic mechanism as well.

Still, it would be neat to see a segbot blasting fortifications in the future

I truly dont see much sense in all of this.

Segways are as I think just wasted money.

Well US is rich.

Or some of you say so.

So then you guys got money to spend on these pieces of # toys!

Dreamstone read the post again it says that they can avoid obsticales. That would include rocks and water

Russian, If we have the money to research advanced forms of warfare whats the promblemn in that. Last time i checked our other futuristic weapons programs were moving along quite nicely. Why not this one? And if we have enough money to do so its because of our RISING economy. nuff said.

*(edit) If you really are Russian i am ashamed to say that i am of Russian decent... such ignorance...

[Edited on 1-12-2003 by NinjaoftheNight]

Originally posted by NinjaoftheNight
Dreamstone read the post again it says that they can avoid obsticales. That would include rocks and water

Russian, If we have the money to research advanced forms of warfare whats the promblemn in that. Last time i checked our other futuristic weapons programs were moving along quite nicely. Why not this one? And if we have enough money to do so its because of our RISING economy. nuff said.

*(edit) If you really are Russian i am ashamed to say that i am of Russian decent... such ignorance...

[Edited on 1-12-2003 by NinjaoftheNight]

I am really RUSSIAN!

And I just dont see what this thing is going to bring.

This is a horrible idea.
You could send a whole division of these at me, and I set off one EMP bomb, TSEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRR!!!!
Your entire division is screwed, then I send in one platoon of regulars with M-16's and they finish off your division...

Now if we were talking about haveing Electro-magnetic shields, that would be different;, but as far as I know, the Philadelphia Project's electromagnetic flux investigatino has only been used on the Eldridge and the B-2's, It would be interesting to see a smaller, personnel version...

- Tass

Complete waist of money in my opinion. See Terminator movies do have a impact

This is why the U.S. in so far in debt now, hey heres an idea.....how bouts taking that money for wasted research and put it to use to help our own countries problems. And the money we spend on rebuilding other nations after we bomb them, c' mon whats the point in that,really? I have never seen such a waist of money before. Its time to stop trying to be "politically correct" as being the worlds mentor and take care of your own first. Hmmmmmmmm I see a new topic developing

Without equipping these so-called military segways with proper off-road/tactical wheels and frames... they wouldn't last very long on the field i can gaurentee that.

I think it's fairly obvious what role these would really play in wartime... urban pacification. Of course you wouldnt see these things rolling across crater laden no-mans lands. They would be curbside, or rolling in groups down the street. Either abroad or locally in a potential state of martial law, little autonomous bots would be perfect for keeping the civilians in check allowing more human troops to be on the front lines.

great, so it's the Segway Human Destroyer now... simultaneously the safest and the most dangerous transportation device on the market.

isn't all that peripheral equipment detrimental to the battery life of the thing? or have they just perfected the extension cord...

There's only one problem: If the Segway runs out of batteries, its gyroscopes stop and it immediately falls over.

I'd have to say this idea sucks. It's probably run by the Army, of course, who spent $40 billion making the first prototype Bradley.

Yea that is all we need our men and women riding a two wheeled scooter that would make them an slow and easy target.

Sort of a dumb idea to use these so called stegways for any type of government purposes.

And yeah.. More expensive than my personal computer.

Hehe, just imagine a Segway with a .50 cal attached to it.

There's only one problem: If the Segway runs out of batteries, its gyroscopes stop and it immediately falls over.

Well the Segway kinda had this problem... it wouldn't run out of batteries tho. The originally marketed Segway did not have a cutoff system in place, so when the batteries dipped below a certain level needed to maintain position, the motors would try to draw more current than available and wouldn't be able to right the unit.

This problem is very easily solved, and although Im not up to date, Im sure it already has been. All they would have to do for these robots is have the bot return to a charging point when remaining battery life reaches a particular threshold, or just strap a solar panel somewhere (if daylight operation) so it is constantly charging. If it ever got into a situation where it could not return to a charging station, the bot could easily lay on its side to let its batteries charge, and then right itself when ready for action.

As far as little bots being based on the design, they would be VERY effective at maneuvering and rapidly changing speeds. Embedded computer systems have advanced significantly in the past 5 years, and one of these little smart gyrobots roaming around would be able to perform all sorts of impressive acts a 4wheeled bot or walker would not be capable of.

As far as being used in actual battle situations... I doubt it would be anything more than what some of our current warbot concepts consist of. Basically mines.. sitting around waiting for a target to destroy. Throw some big knobby tires on them and they might be of use in a desert arena for recon work. However I still think their most useful purpose would be in controlling the civilian populus in a city setting.