Israel reveals seven ton self driving robot tank

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

Called RoBattle, this heavy duty combat and support robot is strapped with a 'robotic kit' consisting of vehicle control, navigation, RT mapping and autonomy, sensors and mission payloads.

In addition to ambushing and attacking on command, this combat ready platform, developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), can raise its body four feet in the air to tackle obstacles or crouch down 23 inches to hide from enemies.

IAI unveiled the car-sized military tank at Eurosatory airland defense and security exhibit in Paris, France earlier this month – a global land and air-defense trade show.

RoBattle is designed to provide ground soldiers with a range of combat support roles in treacherous environments.

This includes intelligence, surveillance and armed reconnaissance, such as convoy, protection, decoy and ambush and attack.

'The RoBattle system is based on IAI's vast experience and heritage in development and manufacturing of unmanned systems including unmanned ground vehicles,' said Meir Shabtai, IAI's Deputy General Manager of ground robotics systems.

RoBattle operators can equip the tank with different payloads such as manipulator arms, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) sensors and radars, and remotely controlled weapons.

And the entire system is manged using a tactical controller, which supports training mode, enabling affordable operator training and skills maintenance.

Since this six-wheeled, semi-autonomous machine is a combat-ready platform, IAI designed it to endure damages and provided it with protection and redundancy for sensitive areas - and weighs seven tons, including three tons of payload, reports Defense Update.

And a semi-autonomous military machine wouldn't be complete without weapons.

IAI fitted RoBattle with a Remote Weapon Station (RWS), called Pitbull, which weighs just 110 pounds and houses the machine's sensors --allowing it easily find its target.

The entire system can operate up to 12 hours without recharging while in 'ambush mode'.

 

[RCoon]

Until somebody shoots it in the "eye", then it's a useless seven tonne paperweight.

At least normal human-driven combat vehicles have their driver protected by a few inches of steel.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

I knew I saw something like this before and it sent me a wild goose chase. I think I remember the Spinner:
http://www.nrec.ri.cmu.edu/projects/ugcv/

There was also the MULE program:
http://defense-update.com/products/m/mule-load-carrier.htm

Which lead to this guy:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XM1219_Armed_Robotic_Vehicle

All of the above was scrapped. The Black Knight appears to be the only one in progress:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Knight_(vehicle)

Looks like they're abandoning wheeled support vehicles and moving back to...well, a robot tank.

At least normal human-driven combat vehicles have their driver protected by a few inches of steel.

Can still shoot out the optics for human controlled vehicles too. Most HEAT weapons work by attacking the crew compartment of the vehicle and basically spraying them with molten copper along with a pressurized blast. If it doesn't kill them, it still takes them out of fighting condition. Robots have no cavity like that which renders them resilient to HEAT attack.

 

[FYFI13]

Until somebody shoots it in the "eye", then it's a useless seven tonne paperweight.

And this can be done by a 13yo with a paintball gun. Bravo

 

[FreedomEclipse]

Robot Wars: Gaza Strip edition

 

[TheoneandonlyMrK]

Similar config to the curiosity rover ,odd look for a tank.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

Ohhhhh, "semi-autonomous" so this is more like the XM1219 Armed Robotic Vehicle which the US Army rejected. Black Knight is autonomous and semi-autonomous. Semi-autonomous really isn't that fascinating as it has been done numerous times over the past decade. I was more going after autonomous. Why the MULE came to mind is that a squad commander could issue an order for the MULE to follow in a combat formation and it follows, staying with the troops it is charged to serve. Black Knight appears to be a weaponized version of this.

Research on Black Knight lead me to stumble upon this:
http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/06/10/army-tries-again-to-replace-or-upgrade-bradley-fighting-vehicle/

Long story short, the US Army has been trying to replace the M2 Bradley for well over a decade and they haven't come up with a solution (namely, IED resistant). Black Knight appears to be a prototype that lays a foundation for the replacement that meets most of the Army's requirements (carry a squad, autonomous and self-autonomous, survive IED, and be transportable). The last prototype built ended up weighing more than an M1 Abrams (unacceptable).

 

[FireFox]

Until somebody shoots it in the "eye

+1

then it's a useless seven tonne paperweight

 

[Jetster]

I want one

 

[droopyRO]

What about hacking it ? if it just sits there useless ok a multi million dollars paper weight as said above. But if that thing fires on its own troops, well ...

 

[FordGT90Concept]

The signal is no doubt encrypted and I suspect it uses a pre-shared key for each vehicle so it would be damn near impossible to take over control. You'd have to physically change the firmware to change the controller.

USA has dozens of UAVs and there has yet to be any reports of one successfully being hacked. There was an RQ-170 that lost communication with its US controllers and landed at an Iranian airbase. That likely occurred because the RQ-170 knows to find a landing field and land when communication is lost. There's no proof Iran actually hacked it while it was in flight.

 

[Caring1]

But if that thing fires on its own troops, well ...

Skynet.
I really have no sympathy for any country that develops automated killing machines, they deserve what they get, as long as they can't fly or traverse oceans I say go for it.

 

[droopyRO]

USA has dozens of UAVs and there has yet to be any reports of one successfully being hacked. There was an RQ-170 that lost communication with its US controllers and landed at an Iranian airbase. That likely occurred because the RQ-170 knows to find a landing field and land when communication is lost. There's no proof Iran actually hacked it while it was in flight.

Yes but those are flown at great distances probably by satellite link not a direct LOS link or short range radio waves.
Hope we don`t get to the point of proving me right

 

[FordGT90Concept]

Doesn't really matter, they're still encrypted. We're not talking RC cars here.

 

[RejZoR]

Anyone who watched Robocop or Terminator knows this is a very bad idea...

 

[natr0n]

Robot Jew Tank

no offense to anyone