UNMANNED SYSTEMS UPDATE
19 Aug 09. The coming age of lorries that drive themselves or robots that perform surgery is fraught with legal and ethical issues, says a new report. The Royal Academy of Engineering says that automated freight transport could be on the roads in as few as 10 years. Also, it says, robotic surgery will begin to need less human intervention. But it suggests that much debate is needed to address the ethical and legal issues raised by putting responsibility in the hands of machines. “We’re all used to automatic systems – lifts, washing machines. We’re talking about levels above that,” said Lambert Dopping-Heppenstal of the Academy’s engineering ethics working group. “It’s about systems that have some level of self-determination.” Issues surrounding autonomous systems and robots with such self-determination have been discussed for a number years, particularly with regard to the autonomous machines of warfare . However, the era of autonomous road vehicles and surgeons is slowly becoming reality, making the issues more urgent, the report says. The removal of direct control from a car’s driver is already happening, with anti-lock braking systems and even automatic parking systems becoming commonplace. But the next step is moving toward completely driverless road vehicles, which already exist in a number of contexts, including London’s Heathrow Airport. (Source: BBC)
07 Aug 09. USAF tests high-definition sensor package for Predator UAV. The US Air Force’s (USAF’s) MQ-1 Predator UAV may soon be flying with a new full-motion video sensor that features high-definition digital imagery and a resolution six times better than the standard analog sensor. US Joint Forces Command tested the new sensor, known as the L-3 Wescam MX-15 HDi (High-Definition integration) digital ball, as part of Empire Challenge: an annual intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance demonstration at the Naval Air Weapons Station at China Lake, California, in July. (Source: Jane’s, IDR)
07 Aug 09. UK centralises procurement of unmanned air systems. The UK’s Defence Equipment & Support organisation has established a new procurement team in an attempt to reduce the interservice rivalry that has hindered attempts to purchase new unmanned air systems (UAS) for the British Army and Royal Air Force (RAF). Details of the new UAS Team, which were revealed to Jane’s towards the end of July, show the new structure is based on four individual project teams and a specialist engineering support team. (Source: Jane’s, JDW)
12 Aug 09. The Defense Department and unmanned systems developers must do a better job fielding unmanned capabilities to servicemembers on the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan, a senior military officer said here yesterday. Army Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch, commanding general of the Army’s 3rd Corps and Fort Hood, Texas, voiced this concern during a speech to defense contractors at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International’s Unmanned Systems North America 2009 Convention. More than 5,000 people from 30 countries are taking part in the conference that began Aug. 9 and ends tomorrow at the Washington Convention Center. The convention is the world’s largest exhibition of robots and unmanned systems capabilities. More than 320 unmanned aerial, maritime and ground systems were on display, offering the industry’s latest products and innovations. “Every day, we try to make the lives of our soldiers and their families better,” Lynch said. “And advocating unmanned systems technology is all part of it.” Lynch has been an advocate for unmanned ground systems since 1985, just after he graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a master’s degree in mechanical engineering focused on robotics, he said. His passion continued as a young captain at Fort Knox, Ky., where he was the robotics project officer in the directorate of combat development at the Army’s Armor Center, he added. (Source: A