3 months ago
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SAN FRANCISCO (NewsNation) — A San Francisco-based startup is processing humanoid robots designed specifically for combat, breaking ranks with large robotics companies that person pledged not to weaponize their technology.
NewsNation got an exclusive look astatine Phantom MK-1, a 5-foot-9-inch, 175-pound humanoid robot created by Foundation susceptible of carrying up to 44 pounds.
The institution is actively seeking contracts with the Department of Defense and aims to nutrient 10,000 units adjacent year.
Sankaet Pathak, CEO and co-founder of Foundation, envisions the robots serving arsenic a "first enactment of defense" connected battlefields to trim quality casualties successful crushed warfare. The institution is the lone known humanoid robotics steadfast purposely gathering machines for subject applications.
Phantom MK-1 designed arsenic battlefield 'first enactment of defense'
"I deliberation the aboriginal of warfare is real-life video games," Pathak told NewsNation. "So air, land, sea, each of them would beryllium autonomous."
Despite advances successful artificial intelligence, the humanoid robots volition not beryllium afloat autonomous.
Pathak said quality operators volition support oversight, with AI assisting successful flagging targets, charting paths and calculating trajectories. However, humans volition marque last decisions connected limb deployment.
The robots would initially relation arsenic crushed drones for reconnaissance and antiaircraft operations, akin to however aerial drones evolved. Future versions could beryllium weaponized for violative operations, weaponry disposal and reconnaissance missions.
Company seeks DOD contracts, plans 10,000 units adjacent year
Foundation operates successful a competitory tract of astir 2 twelve companies processing humanoid robots, though astir absorption connected manufacturing and work applications alternatively than subject use.
Tesla's Optimus robots, for example, are being developed for conveyance production.
Morgan Stanley predicts wide adoption of humanoid robots by the precocious 2030s, with the wide marketplace perchance exceeding $5 trillion by 2050. Military applications are expected to correspond a important information of that market.
Pathak acknowledged that China and the United States are "neck to neck" successful humanoid probe and improvement capabilities, though helium said the U.S. lags successful manufacturing capacity.
He predicts that wrong 10 years, humanoid robots volition beryllium deployed archetypal successful progressive battlefields, with quality soldiers pursuing lone if necessary.
Future versions of Phantom whitethorn beryllium faster, stronger and much heavy weaponized, according to Pathak, who said the company's extremity is to physique "the astir susceptible and rugged humanoid" for deployment successful utmost environments.
