eagle_eye222001 Posted July 16, 2009 Posted July 16, 2009 [url="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,532492,00.html?mrp"]http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,532492,00.html?mrp[/url] [i] It could be a combination of 19th-century mechanics, 21st-century technology — and a 20th-century horror movie. A Maryland company under contract to the Pentagon is working on a steam-powered robot that would fuel itself by gobbling up whatever organic material it can find — grass, wood, old furniture, even dead bodies. Robotic Technology Inc.'s Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot — that's right, "EATR" — "can find, ingest, and extract energy from biomass in the environment (and other organically-based energy sources), as well as use conventional and alternative fuels (such as gasoline, heavy fuel, kerosene, diesel, propane, coal, cooking oil, and solar) when suitable," reads the company's Web site. That "biomass" and "other organically-based energy sources" wouldn't necessarily be limited to plant material — animal and human corpses contain plenty of energy, and they'd be plentiful in a war zone. EATR will be powered by the Waste Heat Engine developed by Cyclone Power Technology of Pompano Beach, Fla., which uses an "external combustion chamber" burning up fuel to heat up water in a closed loop, generating electricity. The advantages to the military are that the robot would be extremely flexible in fuel sources and could roam on its own for months, even years, without having to be refueled or serviced. Upon the EATR platform, the Pentagon could build all sorts of things — a transport, an ambulance, a communications center, even a mobile gunship. In press materials, Robotic Technology presents EATR as an essentially benign artificial creature that fills its belly through "foraging," despite the obvious military purpose.[/i] ---------------- Now playing: [url="http://www.foxytunes.com/artist/30+seconds+to+mars/track/attack"]30 Seconds to Mars - Attack[/url] via [url="http://www.foxytunes.com/signatunes/"]FoxyTunes[/url]
homeschoolmom Posted July 16, 2009 Posted July 16, 2009 Oh great... the military is making zombie robots.
relientfoot08 Posted July 16, 2009 Posted July 16, 2009 That is the dumbest thing I have heard of in a while. lol. I really doubt the military will let it "feed" on dead bodies. no way!! ha...wow.
philothea Posted July 16, 2009 Posted July 16, 2009 I think some stage in the process is missing from the operating description, like a digester tank/biofuel system. Either that or the reporter got a little wacky. The company's own description of the engine begins with "Fuel is atomized and injected into the patented centrifugal combustion chamber [...], where a spark ignites the fuel-air mixture into a flame that spins around the heat coils." Not going to happen with anything but a liquid fuel.
CatholicCid Posted July 16, 2009 Posted July 16, 2009 The newspaper is somewhat making their own stretches... The company says it can run on "biomass" and "other organically-based energy sources." Yes, human bodies are organic and could be used for energy, but the company doesn't even seem to suggest such a thing.
Lounge Daddy Posted July 17, 2009 Posted July 17, 2009 Wow. Just when it seemed that war could possibly become more awesome. (I'm rolling my eyes as hard as I possibly can as I type this.) You know, this begs the question: hasn't anyone at the Pentagon seen The Matrix. Jeeez!
CatholicCid Posted July 17, 2009 Posted July 17, 2009 It should be noted that this robot could also feed on... dead squirrels! Squirreled-powered robots... The future
BG45 Posted July 19, 2009 Posted July 19, 2009 [url="http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2009/07/company-denies-its-robots-feed-on-the-dead/?asdf"]http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2009/07/co...-the-dead/?asdf[/url] The company is now saying its robot won't eat dead people.
Paladin D Posted July 19, 2009 Posted July 19, 2009 [quote name='Akalyte' post='1921623' date='Jul 16 2009, 01:29 PM']thats just great the evil version of Wall-E.[/quote]
philothea Posted July 19, 2009 Posted July 19, 2009 [quote name='BG45' post='1924740' date='Jul 19 2009, 08:34 AM']The company is now saying its robot won't eat dead people.[/quote] I just want to admire this quote, all on its own.
eagle_eye222001 Posted July 19, 2009 Author Posted July 19, 2009 [quote name='philothea' post='1924988' date='Jul 19 2009, 04:04 PM']I just want to admire this quote, all on its own.[/quote] Great press release. ---------------- Now playing: [url="http://www.foxytunes.com/artist/veggietales+(veggie+tunes)/track/his+cheeseburger"]VeggieTales (Veggie Tunes) - His Cheeseburger[/url] via [url="http://www.foxytunes.com/signatunes/"]FoxyTunes[/url]
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