Segway LLC (Manchester, NH) announced that its self-balancing, two-wheeled, Segway Human Transporter, is being drafted by the Pentagon 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 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. Researchers say potential applications for the robots include performing search missions on the battlefield, transporting injured soldiers to safety or following humans around while hauling their gear.
So far, the military program involves 15 Segways, which were delivered to university and government research labs over the last few months. The project is funded as part of a program in which the Pentagon is spending $26 million this year to develop software for autonomous systems (Mobile Autonomous Robot Software). The Segway, which uses gyroscopes to balance itself, provides a common platform on which researchers can swap open-source programs.
