tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4333810565332944955.post2998265296173178534..comments2023-06-30T05:50:43.706-07:00Comments on Up from the Slime: This isn't really new, but it's certainly niftystuiechttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17750802049804418695noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4333810565332944955.post-82834786478653309502007-06-08T09:47:00.000-07:002007-06-08T09:47:00.000-07:00Sorry for the misunderstanding -- I meant that the...Sorry for the misunderstanding -- I meant that the STORY isn't very new, having been reported in 2006. The technologies are obviously new, exciting and very important to the long-term war between the West and Islamic fundamentalism. The newness and excitement of the technology is evidenced by the mentions in the story and BEAR web page of its ability to stand upright and climb stairs -- an amazing feat for a tracked vehicle! <BR/><BR/>You at <A HREF="http://www.tatrc.org" REL="nofollow">TATRC</A> are doing some amazing work. I can envision one day a set of "dog tags" that monitor the health status of a soldier in the field and instantly recognizes when he needs a medic -- then calls for assistance from robotic extraction and/or a human medical corpsman. Of course, I can also envision one day that robotic systems will be doing a lot of the front-line fighting, with their soldier-operators following a steel-and-composite phalanx into battle. Kudos to you.stuiechttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17750802049804418695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4333810565332944955.post-57886701710631495832007-06-08T04:52:00.000-07:002007-06-08T04:52:00.000-07:00There are actually some very key NEW technologies ...There are actually some very key NEW technologies being developed and utilized here, so full-fledged funding is not warranted until some of those capabilities are taken to the proof of concept and actual prototype stages. Once there, we can look at addt'l funding levels. Also, the idea of having a robot - however friendly looking - extract a casualty from harms way, and then provide for the evacuation to the medical treatment facility, is very new and very unacceptable to many within the DOD. Not everyone has moved into even web 1.0, much less into what may well turn out to brave new worlds, so we're dealing with changes to very fundamental paradigms, perceptions and understandings of how things should, do, and can operate. Much of the acceptance of this sort of system is generational - would your grandparents want a robot moving them around? Probably not - would you? You probably wouldn't be as uncomfortable with that idea, but someone raised into a world where that happens everyday is totally unafraid, because that's all we know - so that's what I mean by generational acceptance (GA). It WILL happen, but right now it's a matter of some bench level research, and a whole lot of GA! To see more about the Vecna BEAR, and other military medical robotics, check out our webpage at www.tatrc.org - then follow links to robotics and multimedia.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com