Military robot Military robots are autonomous robots or remote - controlled devices designed for military applications . Such systems are currently being researched by a number of militaries . Already remarkable success has been achieved with unmanned aerial vehicle s like the Predator drone , which are capable of taking surveillance photographs , and even accurately launching missiles at ground targets , without a pilot . A subclass of these are Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle s , which are designed to carry out strike missions in combat . History . Broadly defined , military robots date back to World War II and the Cold War in the form of the German Goliath tracked mine s and the Soviet teletank s . The MQ - 1 Predator drone was when " CIA officers began to see the first practical returns on their decade - old fantasy of using aerial robots to collect intelligence " . The use of robots in warfare , although traditionally a topic for science fiction , is being researched as a possible future means of fighting wars . Already several military robots have been developed by various armies . Some believe the future of modern warfare will be fought by automated weapons systems . The U . S . Military is investing heavily in research and development towards testing and deploying increasingly automated systems . The most prominent system currently in use is the unmanned aerial vehicle ( IAI Pioneer & RQ - 1 Predator ) which can be armed with Air - to - ground missile s and remotely operated from a command center in reconnaissance roles . DARPA has hosted competitions in 2004 & 2005 to involve private companies and universities to develop unmanned ground vehicles to navigate through rough terrain in the Mojave Desert for a final prize of $ 2 Million . The field of artillery has also seen some promising research with an experimental weapons system named " Dragon Fire II " which automates the loading and ballistics calculations required for accurate predicted fire , providing a 12 second response time to artillery support requests . However , weapons of warfare have one limitation in becoming fully autonomous : there remain intervention points which requires human input to ensure that targets are not within restricted fire areas as defined by Geneva Conventions for the laws of war . There have been some developments towards developing autonomous fighter jets and bombers . The use of autonomous fighters and bombers to destroy enemy targets is especially promising because of the lack of training required for robotic pilots , autonomous planes are capable of performing maneuvers which couldn ' t otherwise be done with human pilots ( due to high amount of G - Force ) , plane designs don ' t require a life support system , and a loss of a plane doesn ' t mean a loss of a pilot . However , the largest draw back to robotics is their inability to accommodate for non - standard conditions . Advances in artificial intelligence in the near future may help to rectify this . Effects and impact . Advantages . Major Kenneth Rose of the US Army ' s Training and Doctrine Command outlined some of the advantages in robotic technology in warfare : " Machines don ' t get tired . They don ' t close their eyes . They don ' t hide under trees when it rains and they don ' t talk to their buddies . . . A human ' s attention to detail on guard duty drops dramatically in the first 30 minutes . . . Machines know no fear . " Increasing attention is also paid to how to make the robots more autonomous , with a view of eventually allowing them to operate on their own for extended periods of time , possibly behind enemy lines . For such functions , systems like the Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot are being tried , which is intended to gain its own energy by foraging for plant matter . Potential risks . In 2009 , academics and technical experts attended a conference to discuss the impact of the hypothetical possibility that robots and computers could become self - sufficient and able to make their own decisions . They discussed the possibility and the extent to which computers and robots might be able to acquire any level of autonomy , and to what degree they could use such abilities to possibly pose any threat or hazard . They noted that some robots have acquired various forms of semi - autonomy , including being able to find power sources on their own and being able to independently choose targets to attack with weapons . They also noted that some computer viruses can evade elimination and have achieved " cockroach intelligence . " They noted that self - awareness as depicted in science - fiction is probably unlikely , but that there were other potential hazards and pitfalls . Some experts and academics have questioned the use of robots for military combat , especially when such robots are given some degree of autonomous functions . The US Navy has funded a report which indicates that as military robots become more complex , there should be greater attention to implications of their ability to make autonomous decisions .