Australian Army Uses Segways for Target Practice


Australia’s Marathon Robotics has come up with a clever way to give soldiers realistic target practice: they have turned a bunch of Segways into robots that move and react like real groups of people.

The robots, named Segway Rovers, can be programmed to act like enemy soldiers (called insurgents these days), hostages, or civilians; allowing soldiers to train in realistic conditions, including urban combat scenarios where enemy combatants are likely to be interspersed with civilians.

Although shooting at Segways may sound fun, it also sounds expensive; fortunately the robots are armored and are designed to withstand getting shot.

Marathon Robotics seems to be getting set for expansion. The Australian Department of Defense already has a range in place and the United States marine Corps will be setting one up this year.

If you just want to see one getting hit, skip to 4:45. Otherwise, watch and enjoy Dr Alex Brooks talking about having the coolest job in the world leading you through the capabilities of his amazing Segway robots.

[Singularity Hub, Image]

Categories
Science and Tech

C.S. Magor is the editor-in-chief and a reporter at large for We Interrupt and Uberreview. He currently resides in the Japanese countryside approximately two hours from Tokyo - where he has spent the better part of a decade testing his hypothesis that Japan is neither as quirky nor as interesting as others would have you believe.
3 Comments on this post.
  • Tweets that mention Australian Army Uses Segways for Target Practice | We Interrupt — Topsy.com
    12 April 2010 at 11:39 pm
    Leave a Reply

    […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by CSMagor. CSMagor said: Australian Army Uses Segways for Target Practice http://su.pr/2n59Pt #technology #military #segway […]

  • Paul
    13 April 2010 at 9:15 am
    Leave a Reply

    I didn’t know they still make the Segway. They flopped big time (never seen one in real life – never seen on for sale!) so I assumed the company which makes then had either given up on them or gone bust. Nice they’ve found someone who wants them.

  • Paul
    13 April 2010 at 4:15 am
    Leave a Reply

    I didn’t know they still make the Segway. They flopped big time (never seen one in real life – never seen on for sale!) so I assumed the company which makes then had either given up on them or gone bust. Nice they’ve found someone who wants them.

  • Leave a Reply

    *

    *

    Editor's Picks