Defense & Security Technology

Currently the U.S. military is refining a system that can detect human presence so that unmanned vehicles and remote-controlled robots can operate effectively without the consequence of friendly fire and civilian casualties. Targeted for densely populated urban areas, a JPL Robotics' system can autonomously avoid people. Do you think such technologies should be further developed for other weapons systems? Can we 'kill' things, but not people in war?

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Terrorists continue to test the efficacy of security checkpoints via novel methods to conceal IEDs. The latest worrisome threats include surgically implanted bombs and explosives concealed in pregnancy prosthetics, according to HS Today reports. While security checkpoints can detect bombs concealed inside clothing, they cannot detect explosives hidden inside the human body. Should X-ray scanners with questionable safe levels of radiation be used on everyone or can new technologies be developed?

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Professor Noel Sharkey, AI and robotics expert, University of Sheffield is worried. For one, the U.S. military is going full-speed ahead in deploying unmanned weaponry. In fact, there's a scramble to train thousands of 'point and click' killers ASAP to operate weapons like the Reaper MQ-9 drone. Similarly, Israel already uses the fire-and-forget Harpy. The loitering missile detects then destroys any source of hostile radar automatically. Civilian and friendly fire casualties most notably have some worried. To what extent should humans be in control? What other alternatives might be considered?

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Funding for building seven more F-22s for $1.75 billion has been denied by the U.S. Senate. According to CNN, maintenance costs for the fighter are $40,000+ for every airborne hour. Do you think funding the program would have been 'an inexcusable waste of money' as some opponents of the program say? Should technology-based citizens have more of a role in these decisions? What can engineers and technologists do? Can we offer expert advice for free? Would anybody listen?

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Apparently technology alone cannot stop international terrorists. This year the U.S. State Department has offered more than $13 million for info about al-Qaeda and Abu Sayyaf. The Rewards for Justice program has been a huge success, says the State Department, which has paid 50 informants $80 million to date — the majority being paid since 9/11. Did you know that providing information on terrorists could be a way to get rich quick and get that multimillion pay check? Do you think there are other equally successful ways that could be used to catch terrorists and prevent future attacks?

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