Forward-looking: China isn't the only superpower investigating how humanoid robots will be deployed as part of its armed forces. The US Army has just named five companies as winners of the xTechHumanoid competition, which looks at ways these machines can be utilized in future military operations. One of them, a humanoid robot called Alex, has a distinctly early Terminator feel about it --- it even features ballistic protection.
Autonomy and AI are becoming increasingly important elements of today's military forces. We're seeing the likes of drones, turrets, and even vehicles such as aircraft and boats operating with minimal human control.
The next step in that admittedly concerning evolution is the use of humanoid robots.
In 2023, the Humanoid Community of Collaboration (HCoC) was established. This Joint Force organization is designed to advance the technical development and operational integration of humanoid robot capabilities across the US Department of Defense and military.
The Army FUZE xTech program – an Army initiative that runs prize competitions to scout and accelerate dual-use and commercial technologies for soldiers – partnered with HCoC for xTechHumanoid.
The competition saw 103 proposals, with the five winners announced after they were evaluated by military leaders and technical experts.
The winners included two different power systems, sensitive fingertip tactile sensors, software, and Alex the humanoid robot.
The work of non-profit research institute the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, Alex is powered entirely by custom, highly backdriveable, powerful quasi-direct drive actuators, which are said to allow for highly efficient, natural motions.
The robot has 29 joints to make it more flexible, while the Army highlights its ballistic protection and hybrid autonomy combining AI and human control for complex and dangerous missions.
"Humanoid robots are part of a broader autonomy push to increase the depth and breadth of robotic platforms and components industry can provide for a range of missions," said US Army Chief Technology Officer Dr. Alex Miller. "We are identifying the problems, mission needs, and opportunities to enable our formations with the right mix of tools. xTech is our method of surveying the industry landscape and fast-tracking promising technology rather than falling victim to years-long studies."
It's not just the US that wants the battlefields of the future to be packed with humanoid robots. Earlier this month, Reuters reported that it had reviewed more than 100 Chinese military procurement notices, academic studies, patents, official publications, government records, and defense-company materials. It found that the country is accelerating research into the robots' military uses and planning for their eventual wartime deployment.