Military robots in mainstrean media, again

"Killer Robots from Silicon Valley" is the headline in Fortune Magazine. "Robotex, a Silicon Valley start-up, combines engineering skill and groundbreaking weaponry to create a new generation of soldiers."

Of course there's not much talk about this "new generation". We are expected to assume they're robots or, if we know about this, robot operators. The buzz is actually about a company called Robotex . It's built up like a Hollywood story. Young engineers and entrepreneurs have banded together to produce a robot armed with Atchisson Assault shotguns. Not shy, the Robotex guys take direct aim at the Foster Miller (QinetiQ) Talon robot which can be used as a weapons platform. What's the appeal? A $30,000 - $50,000 price tag. "(The Talon)... costs six times that amount. "Our system does all the same things as the Talon, weighs half as much, and costs a fraction""

Pictures in the Fortune article show two Robotex models. Neither is an "engineer" model. Are they as rugged as the Talon? You be the judge. We'll look forward to following this story.

Source: CNN Money / Fortune