Modular Advanced Armed Robotic System
The Modular Advanced System (MAARS) is a robot that is being developed by Qinetiq. A member of the TALON family, it will be the successor to the armed SWORDS robot. It has a different, larger chassis than the SWORDS robot, so has little physically in common with the SWORDS and TALON robots.
Design
The MAARS platform was designed for reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition security at forward locations. It can be configured for non-lethal, less-lethal, and lethal effects. The system weighs 369 lb (167 kg) fully loaded with sensors, weapons, and ammunition. Its battery can last 3–12 hours, with a sleep mode to last for up to one week. The MAARS can move at 7 mph and travel 800–1000 meters from its controller. It has a seven cameras for driving, situational awareness, and for the weapon that can operate in daytime or thermal modes. MAARS is armed with an M240B machine gun and four as a traffic control point encounter with a suspected suicide bomber or vehicle-emplaced explosive. In another scenario, the MAARS provided overwatch as a different robot attached an explosive charge to a door. After the door was blown open, MAARS entered the doorway, encountered hostile fire, and returned fire with its machine gun.[1]
One obstacle to the deployment of MAARS, and armed unmanned ground vehicles in general, is the reluctance of military leaders to utilize remote-controlled weapon systems at ground level. One concern is collateral damage, as machine gun bullets can travel further than sensors mounted on the robot. The Defense Department is in agreement that any lethal force applied by an unmanned system will be decided by an individual, not by the system autonomously. Ground combat commanders prefer to perfect autonomy for UGVs for supply purposes to lighten infantrymens' loads. Autonomous ground robots that could shoot have been compared to land mines, in that they can't be directly controlled. Although remote weapon systems have been successfully used on vehicles, there is question on how far a remote-controlled platform can be st