It hasn’t been very long since SWORDS battle bots started to see some real use in Iraq, and already Foster-Miller has a newer, safer version of their TALON SWORDS. The MAARS (Modular Advanced Armed Robotic System) platform is designed from the ground up for combat, but with modular features to let operators adapt the robot for different missions. For example, the treads can be swapped out for wheels (making it 50% faster than its 5mph predecessor), and the weapons payload can be exchanged for a manipulator arm.
The biggest change has been to the fire control system. New software controls allow operators to designate no-fire zones, and the robot is not allowed to fire directly at its own control unit, eliminating about a thousand potential killer robot storylines. The addition of a GPS transmitter allows the new SWORDS to interact with American battlefield mapping programs, allowing commanders to see where the robots are in relation to other friendly forces. Here’s a short video of MAARS looking agile:
