The Era of the Robotic Vehicles Has Arrived

From robotic construction trucks to robotic submarines, the world of robotic vehicles is being employed to revolutionize our lives. Traditionally associated with the military, robotic planes, submarines, tanks, trucks, cars, mechanical bugs and other types of mobile robots are being developed for civilian use as well. Futuristic advancements are no longer a matter of "How," but more so a matter of "When," as to when the technology will be affordable enough for average citizens.

"The good thing about this system is you don't have to send a marine out and risk that life," Captain James Lee said of his bomb-disassembling and reconnaissance mission robotic vehicles. The machines may cost $100,000 a piece, but they're fairly durable, especially considering that duct tape and common materials can be used to patch them. The Packbot Scout Robot (developed by Robotic Systems JPO) quickly takes apart a bomb, saving an entire Humvee full of soldiers.

The Dragon Eye and Raven B unmanned aircraft patrols the battlefields, even in adverse weather conditions. The Stalker (developed by Lockheed Martin) is especially keen for silent night operations, while the Golden Eye can hover for three hours, assessing the scene. The unmanned Predator drone is one of the most highly-touted autonomous robots used by the US military today.

Civilian robotic vehicles are also being developed for a number of uses. Sonar robotics technology is capturing never-before-seen images of deep sea beds with the Synthetic Aperture Sonar. Farmers use these vehicles to check on their crops. Forest rangers count trees and monitor wildlife in remote regions of their parks. Surface water vehicles are skimming the coasts, while underwater devices are recovering old shipwrecks and AWOL lobster traps that have fallen loose, thus threatening endangered marine animals.

You may not know it, but automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are transporting materials all around warehouses and hospitals at this very moment. The early robotic vehicles were easy to make, researchers say, but they were fairly limited in their paths and found it difficult to adapt to changes in their environments.

The interim robotics automation could scan bar code grid lines on the floor or use laser technology to maneuver around, although tall obstacles still blocked the way and routine maintenance was high. New robotic vehicles are trained to circumnavigate around any obstacle, whether it is a pallet or a person. They use 3-D scanners, maps and other complex systems. In the future, people are expected to work alongside robots much more frequently.