This Robot May Be Another Version Of The Robotic Tank In "Terminator 3"

For military enthusiasts, wherever drone and robot are concerned, we are considerably more likely to think of aerial unmanned weapon platforms than anything else. After all, aerial drone warfare has been prevalent for the last decade for the U.S. Armed Forces.

Now, though, the introduction of this new unmanned weapon platform promises the same efficiency and all of the benefits of a remotely controlled weapon down to the ground. Called THeMIS (Tracked Hybrid Modular Infantry System), this robot could transform the way we think not only about general warfare, but combat drones in the future.

Overwhelming Firepower

According to the reports from C4ISRNET, the new Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) is nothing short of a mini-arsenal when it comes to firepower. Armed with a 12.7mm single-barrel machine gun and a 40mm automatic grenade launcher, the robot did more than just impress spectators during its demo run in Estonia last month.

As a reminiscent of those T-1 robotic tanks from the cult-classic sci-fi Terminator series, it is enough proof to point out that warfare is becoming more automated than ever.

Best Of Its Kind

Despite a countless number of its advantages, the THeMIS is not the first ground-based unmanned weapon platform to be developed. What separates it from the rest is that it is the first platform that can be controlled farther away than the direct line of sight.

The robot can be controlled by a small crew and directed toward acquired targets that had previously been spotted and tracked by the automated software. Specifically, the drone can be controlled at a range of up to 8,200 feet away. And in adverse terrains with a lot of obstacles separating the crew and the platform, 3,300 feet is the effective range.

Semi-Automated: Can Track By Itself, Can't Kill By Itself

The C4ISRNET points out that although the drone can fully acquire, track, and automatically engage targets simultaneously, it cannot yet pull the trigger by itself. Instead, it requires humans to confirm whether or not it should fire or else. At the moment, the debate is still raging on whether artificial intelligence should be allowed to make its own decision when it comes to exercising firepower on humans or not.

For now, the drone will have to be contented with getting permission from its human operator through a tablet to fire.