DARPA, the agency behind some of the wildest tech innovations, just added a 12-ton robot tank with glowing green eyes to their fleet of autonomous vehicles.
It definitely sounds intimidating.
Picture a massive metal beast cruising down the road with eyes that light up like something from a sci-fi movie.
You’re pretty much there.
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So, what’s the deal with this giant metal monster?
Well, it’s part of DARPA’s RACER program, which stands for Robotic Autonomy in Complex Environments with Resiliency.
Fancy name, right?
Earlier, DARPA stepped into the game of developing self-piloted F-16 aircraft.
And now, they’ve taken things up a notch by introducing the RACER Heavy Platform (RHP).
Basically, these guys are all about making vehicles that can drive themselves, no human needed.
Now, the RHP isn’t your average tank. It’s a beast of a machine, weighing in at a whopping 12 tons and stretching out to 20 feet long.
That’s like having a small building on wheels.
The best part? It’s got glowing green eyes which makes it even more intimidating.
In late 2023, the agency tested its robot tanks in Texas.
They drove autonomously in military training areas covering 15 square miles of land.
These vehicles drove themselves, even at night.
They did over 30 runs, ranging from 3 to 10 miles long, covering a total of 150 miles all on their own.
But why do they need a giant robot tank with glowing eyes, you may ask?
Well, they’re already known for some really revolutionary tech.
And with the RHP, they’re testing out new algorithms that could one day be used in combat vehicles.
These autonomous vehicles could deal with tricky terrains and even fight on their own, without putting human lives at risk.
Imagine a future where tanks roll into battle with no one behind the wheel.
A much-needed technology we need to secure human life.
It seems like an impossible thing, but DARPA is turning it into reality, just like the see-through camouflage made to hide army trucks.
