Unmanned ground vehicle An unmanned ground vehicle ( UGV ) is a vehicle that operates while in contact with the ground and without an onboard human presence . UGVs can be used for many applications where it may be inconvenient , dangerous , or impossible to have a human operator present . Generally , the vehicle will have a set of sensors to observe the environment , and will either autonomous ly make decisions about its behavior or pass the information to a human operator at a different location who will control the vehicle through teleoperation . The UGV is the land - based counterpart to unmanned aerial vehicles and remotely operated underwater vehicle s . Unmanned robotics are being actively developed for both civilian and military use to perform a variety of dull , dirty , and dangerous activities . History . In their 1930s , the USSR developed Teletank s , a machine gun - armed tank remotely controlled by radio from another tank . These were used in the Winter War ( 1939 - 1940 ) against Finland and at the start of the Eastern Front after Germany invaded the USSR in 1941 . During World War II , the British developed a radio control version of their Matilda II infantry tank in 1941 . Known as " Black Prince " , it would have been used for drawing the fire of concealed anti - tank guns , or for demolition missions . Due to the costs of converting the transmission system of the tank to Wilson type gearboxes , an order for 60 tanks was cancelled . From 1942 , the Germans used the Goliath tracked mine for remote demolition work . The Goliath was a small tracked vehicle carrying 60 kg of explosive charge directed through a control cable . Their inspiration was a miniature French tracked vehicle found after France was defeated in 1940 . The combination of cost , low speed , reliance on a cable for control , and poor protection against weapons meant it was not considered a success . Design . Guidance . There are two classes of unmanned ground vehicles : Remote - Operated and Autonomous . Remote - Operated . A remote - operated UGV is a vehicle that is controlled by a human operator via a communications link . All actions are determined by the operator based upon either direct visual observation or remote use of sensors such as digital video cameras . A basic example of the principles of remote - operation would be a toy remote control car . There are a wide variety of remote - operated UGVs in use today . Predominantly these vehicle are used to replace humans in hazardous situations . Examples are explosive s and bomb disabling vehicles . According to Carafano & Gudgel , robots have disarmed over 1000 roadside bombs in Iraq at the end of 2005 ( 2007 ) . The importance of this is apparent since the amount of UGVs in use has shot up from 150 in 2004 , to 5000 in 2005 ( Carafano & Gudgel , 2007 ) . Currently , UGVs are also being used in Japan repairing nuclear reactors that are still emitting too much radiation to warrant a human presence . UGVs are also being developed for peacekeeping operations , ground surveillance , gatekeeper / checkpoint operations , urban street presence , and to enhance police and military raids in urban settings . UGVs can " draw first fire " from insurgents - reducing military and police casualties . Furthermore , UGVs are now being used in rescue and recovery missions . These robots were paramount following 9 / 11 , when searching for survivors at Ground Zero . Some examples of remote - operated UGV technology are : Autonomous . An autonomous UGV is essentially an autonomous robot that operates without the need for a human controller . The vehicle uses its sensors to develop some limited understanding of the environment , which is then used by control algorithms to determine the next action to take in the context of a human provided mission goal . This fully eliminates the need for any human to watch over the menial tasks that the UGV is completing . A fully autonomous robot may have the ability to : A robot may also be able to learn autonomously . Autonomous learning includes the ability to : Autonomous robots still require regular maintenance , as with all machines . One of the most crucial aspects to consider when developing armed autonomous machines , is the distinction between combatants and civilians . If done incorrectly , the robots deployment can be detrimental . This is particularly true in the modern era , when combatants often intentionally disguise themselves as civilians to avoid detection . Even if a robot maintained 99 % accuracy , the number of civilian lives lost can still be catastrophic . Due to this , it is unlikely that any fully autonomous machines will be sent into battle armed , at least until a satisfactory solution can be developed . Some examples of autonomous UGV technology are : Examples . The PackBot . The PackBot is one example of a UGV , first used in early 2004 . Originally designed for space exploration , they were later adapted for military use . Today , a human using a controller operates the PackBot remotely , though the PackBot does have the capability to do a few things on its own , such as backtracking to its operator . Regardless , they are still extremely useful in exploring caves and buildings , as well as searching for enemies and weapon caches . The Packbot retains the capability to navigate obstacles on its own , a necessity when searching through caves and rubble . In addition , they are also capable of disarming bombs and discovering mines using a robotic arm and camera ( Carafano & Gudgel , 2007 ) . The Packbot has also been outfitted with a Hazmat Sensor that provides it with the capability to detect hazardous chemicals . Weighing in at 40 pounds , it is a smaller version of The Warrior . Due to this , soldiers can carry the Packbot in a backpack and deploy them when necessary . Following the nuclear disaster that occurred in Japan , the Packbot is now being used to excavate and repair the reactors due the to the fact that the radiation is too great for humans to bear . SARGE . SARGE is based on a 4 - wheel drive all terrain vehicle ; the frame of the Yamaha Breeze . Currently , the objective is to provide each infantry battalion with up to eight SARGE units ( Singer , 2009b ) . The SARGE robot is primarily used for remote surveillance ; sent ahead of the infantry to investigate potential ambushes . Gladiator . The Gladiator is a small to medium sized system , designed to reduce risks to the marine corps . Like the SARGE , its primary function is scouting . But unlike the SARGE , it is capable of deploying direct - fire weapons . Moreover , the Gladiator also provides crowd control weaponry , which is necessary for some situations . In 2007 , roughly 200 units were delivered to the marines and have been widely used ever since ( Singer , 2009a ) . The Gladiator was designed to be as rugged and durable as possible , and ultimately intended to replace human soldiers . The Gladiator was the world ' s first armed Unmanned Ground Vehicle . The Warrior . A new model of the PackBot was also produced , known as the Warrior . It is over five times the size of a PackBot , can travel at speeds of up to 15 mph , and is the first variation of a PackBot capable of carrying a weapon ( Singer , 2009a ) . Like the Packbot , they are instrumental in checking for explosives . They are capable of carrying 68 kilograms , and travelling at 8 MPH . The Warrior is priced at nearly 400 , 000 and more than 5000 units have already been delivered worldwide . The Talon . The Talon is primarily used for bomb disposal , and was incorporated with the ability to be waterproof at 100 ft so that it can search the seas for explosives as well . The Talon was first used in 2000 , and over 3 , 000 units have been distributed world - wide . By 2004 , The Talon had been used in over 20 , 000 separate missions . These missions largely consisted of situations deemed to be too dangerous for humans ( Carafano & Gudgel , 2007 ) . These can include entering booby - trapped caves , searching for IEDs , or simply scouting a red combat zone . The Talon is one of the fastest Unmanned Ground Vehicles on the market , easily keeping pace with a running soldier . It can operate for 7 days off of one charge , and is even capable of climbing stairs . This robot was used at Ground Zero during the recovery mission . Like its peers , the Talon was designed to be incredibly durable . According to reports , one unit fell off of a bridge into a river and the soldiers simply turned on the control unit and drove it out of the river . Swords Robot . Shortly after the release of the Warrior , the SWORDS robot was designed and deployed . It is a Talon robot with an attached weapon system . SWORDS is capable of mounting any weapon weighing less than 300 pounds . In a matter of seconds , the user can fit weapons such as a grenade launcher , rocket launcher , or 0 . 50 inch ( 12 . 7 mm ) machine gun . Moreover , the SWORDS can use their weapons with extreme precision , hitting the bull ’ s - eye of a target 70 / 70 times . These robots are capable of withstanding a lot of damage , including multiple 0 . 50 inch bullets , or a fall from a helicopter onto concrete . In addition , the SWORDS robot is even capable of making its way through virtually any terrain , including underwater . In 2004 , only four SWORDS units were in existence although 18 were requested for service overseas . It was named as one of the worlds most amazing inventions by " Time Magazine " in 2004 . The US Army deployed three to Iraq in 2007 but then cancelled support of the project . Small Unit Mobility Enhancement Technology ( SUMET ) . The SUMET system is a platform and hardware independent , low - cost electro - optical perception , localization , and autonomy package developed to convert a traditional vehicle into a UGV . It performs various autonomous logistics maneuvers in austere / harsh off - road environments , without dependence on a human operator or on GPS . The SUMET system has been deployed on several different tactical and commercial platforms and is open , modular , scalable and extensible .