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Robotic 'Dragon Egg' Gives Soldiers a Roving Eye

by Terrence O'Brien on August 19, 2009 at 07:55 AM


Although the tools of war have evolved at an astonishing rate over the course of the modern age, the classic man with a gun hasn't changed much since the 1700s. Now that we've finished building bigger and bigger guns, however, we've turned our research muscle back towards doing our best to improve that basic unit of battle: the infantry man.

The Land Warrior system is currently getting its first large-scale test in Afghanistan, with hundreds of the wearable computers deployed to team leaders and vehicle commanders. The system, which includes a viewfinder for identifying friendlies and hostile targets, a thumb keypad, and other gadgets, is one of the more expensive and cumbersome tools at the disposal of the modern soldier.

An integral part of the Land Warrior system is the "Dragon Egg" -- a robot camera that can be rolled into a room or tossed over a wall or hill. By giving a soldier a 360-degree view of an area, the Weeble Wobble-like device allows the operator to mark civilians via his or her wearable computer, thus warding off air strikes and hopefully reducing civilian casualties. Military tech geared towards the preservation of innocent life? Where do we sign? [From: AP/CBS.com]

Tags: dragon egg, DragonEgg, land warrior, LandWarrior, military, top, war, weapons

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