Troublesome robots – discussion following up

Prepared by Galina Vitkova

In 2007 three ground-crawling US war robots SWORDS (Special Weapons Observation Reconnaissance Detection Systems) deployed to fight in Iraq, These units were the first remote controlled robots armed with machine guns. In addition to the guns, the SWORDS can be loaded up with the optional X-ray kit to check out suspicious packages or objects. In fact, it was a huge step forward for robotics in warfare. Never before armed robots had been deployed in a war.

SWORDS robots are a modified version of track-wheeled bomb disposal devices in use around the world. Soldiers operate the robots with a specially modified laptop, completed with joystick controls and a ’kill button’ that terminates its functions if it goes awry. The devices are supposed to be most helpful during raids on suspected enemy compounds. Putting the machine in a situation where there is a high risk of an unexpected attack or trap-style explosion may minimise casualties. The SWORDS´ uses are limited by the quality of the terrain and the intensity of the battlefield mission.

While the concept of robots at war conjures images of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator movie character, current models are more mundane. Far from taking on human characteristics, the robots look like small stripped-down tanks (see the picture below).

In Iraq, however, the SWORDS robots were almost immediately pulled off the battlefield, before firing a single shot at the enemy. Nobody knew why until the US Army’s Program Executive Officer for Ground Forces, Kevin Fahey revealed it at the RoboBusiness conference in April 2008 in the USA. Obviously, one of the robots went rogue: “the gun started moving when it was not intended to move” said Fahey. He added there had been chilling incidents in which the SWORDS combat bot had swivelled round and evidently attempted to train its machine-gun on its human comrades. It seems that the incident left people spooked enough to pull the plug on the operation”. In other words, the SWORDS swung around in the wrong direction, and the plug got pulled fast.

Reporters of that time wrote alert American troops succeeded suppressing the traitorous killer robots before the inevitable spree of mechanised massacre began. Fahey didn’t say just how, but conceivably the rogue robots may have been overpowered with help from more trustworthy airborne kill machines, or perhaps prototype electropulse zap bombs.

No humans were hurt, but it seems that the struggle was sufficiently terrifying. It may be some time before American troops are ready to fight alongside robots again.

References:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/30/reaper_first_kill/

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military_law

http://gizmodo.com/tag/robots/

Short note

By Galina Vitkova

It is just a short note to emphasize the importance of English grammar for everybody who wants to be successful in his / her job carrier. I have just read about it and would like to share it with you. Read below the citation from WhiteSmoke Writing Software.

What is important in written communication

A recent survey asked American employers what characteristics were important in their employees´ writing. Here are the results:

How important

Extremely important

Is important

Accuracy		95.2%		1.6%
Clarity		74.6%		22.2%
Spelling, Punctuation, & Grammar		58.7%		36.5%
Scientific Precision		41.3%		50.8%
Conciseness		33.3%		33.3%
Visual Appeal		11.1%		68.3%

Without accuracy, clarity and correct English grammar your writing would be severely lacking in the eyes of employers.

Engage in English and be thriving in your present or future carrier!

PS: More and more employers are seeking for specialists with good writing skill, which make a competitive advantage in the online world undertaking.

How important is written communication to your job or your other activities? Just drop a line:

Very important    Important     Not Important

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Some details concerning a (an) and the

By Galina Vitkova

The more you know about articles, the better. On that account, I would like to emphasise once more their importance for technical writing as well.

Let´s remind that:

• The indefinite article a (an) can be used only with singular countable nouns. A (an) signals that the noun refers to any member of a noun group.

• The definite article the is used with singular and plural, countable and uncountable nouns, especially when both the speaker and listener know the thing or idea already. The signals that the noun is definite, that it refers to a particular member of a noun group. (For details, see Purdue University Online Writing Lab and Students do not care about articles).

Following this rule we must not say or write a software, a hardware, a money (a piece of software is possible if necessary), whereas the software or only software etc. is correct.

Students often use a (an) with plurals, e.g. a robots, a modern technologies, a laser printers. It is nonsense, a (an) suggests one. It means robots or the robots, modern technologies or the modern technologies is correct.

It is possible to use the with numerals when exceptionality of a situation should be underlined or just in case. For example, we say or write sometimes the two disks in this situation, but two disks is usual.

The definite article the (e.g. the transistor, the electromagnetic wave, the digital pen etc.) is frequently used to indicate that a noun refers to the whole class of which member the noun is, e.g. The milestone of the modern age of computers was the development of the transistor.

Finally, be aware of necessity the in case of unique objects:

• The Earth, the equator, the Moon, the prime meridian.
• The particular components of something, e.g.:

A robot has the back and the front (i.e. any robot has the only one front and the only one back).

The surface of a sphere (again any sphere has the only one surface).

Hence remember applying articles when writing and speaking!

PS: If you have any questions concerning use of a (an), the, put your comments to this post or send message mailto:victe@volny.cz.