Pentagon Developing Shape-Shifting 'Transformers' for Battlefield

Real-life "Transformers" could soon be used by American soldiers on the battlefield.

The Pentagon's research arm, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), is well into the second phase of a project to develop "programmable matter" that could reshape itself to fit any situation, reports SIGNAL magazine.

Link Here

I would hate to be on the battlefield when the US does deploy machines like them.

Alien Mind

Finally my own life size transformer. How much are they?

Originally posted by Mister E.
Finally my own life size transformer. How much are they?

oh only about a few billion dollars

my opinion : this technology is dangerous as in the movies Terminator

reply to post by muzzleflash


Well if we don't make it someone else will.

Alien Mind

Originally posted by muzzleflash

my opinion : this technology is dangerous as in the movies Terminator

Yeah, especially in the hands of the U.S.

[edit on 10-6-2009 by Kevinquisitor]

I say screw Transformers, we need Gundams, that way they wont run amok learning and trying to self preserve themselves, if we make Gundams then we have full control over them. If they do follow through with this, I'm pretty sure they will have some sort of fail safe or somthing. Its a cool idea, but they have to be really careful how they go about it..

reply to post by Paveway27


We may not really be too far away either, the topic of "exoskeletons" seems to have been hot for a while now. Not quite gundams, but still it wouldn't surprise me to see soldiers looking like this within just a few years:

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/055a19726047.jpeg[/atsimg]
(Army mock up)

The article on wikipedia about powered exoskeletons has a lot of information.

en.wikipedia.org...

Originally posted by muzzleflash

my opinion : this technology is dangerous as in the movies Terminator

Behold, the T-1000

en.wikipedia.org...

So we won't be seeing Arnold robotic clones anymore, pity!

I have a question though so this 'programmable matter' can shapeshift into hammer, can you actually pound something with it?? Or say a knife, can you cut something with it?

[edit on 11-6-2009 by ahnggk]