February 3, 2006: The PackBot battlefield robot has been given a brain. This is in the form of a lightweight system that has the ability to detect where enemy fire is coming from, far more accurately than humans. One important development during the Iraq war was the emergence of robotic infantry. Small UGVs (unmanned ground vehicles) have been around for decades. But in the last decade they have gotten better, cheaper and rugged enough to survive battlefield use by the infantry (rather than specialists, as in the past.) One of the more popular of these war droids is the PackBot. The Department of Defense calls these robots MTRS (Man Transportable Robotic System). There are several models of Packbot, and the most popular job for these remote controlled vehicles (that look like a miniature tank, with an extendable arm where the turret should be) is checking out possible roadside bombs, or booby traps, or the insides of caves or buildings believed to hold hostile gunmen. For over a decade, there have been larger (over a hundred pounds) remote control vehicles like this for bomb squads. But better designs, and smaller electronics, have made the man-portable (under 40 pounds) units possible. Three years ago, there were several different MTRS systems in Afghanistan and Iraq, but the Packbot has emerged as the most popular, and most effective. This means troops no longer have to get close to possible bombs, and risk getting blown up when nearby terrorists detonate the device. The MTRS has become very popular with the troops, and saved many lives.

The manufacturer of Packbot, iRobot, also makes commercial robots, like Roomba (a very successful droid that cleans the floors automatically). Some of the Roomba technology finds its way into the military droids, enabling them to automatically "sweep" a building for the presence of the enemy, or booby traps.

The latest version of Packbot comes equipped with REDOWL (Robot Enhanced Detection Outpost with Lasers). The detection system is meant to instantly locate the source of rifle or mortar fire. In tests, REDOWL equipped Packbots detected bullets, fired from a variety of pistols and rifles, 94 percent of the time. Now the system has to be modified to be rigged enough to survive repeated use in a combat zone. When issued to the troops, REDOWL equipped Packbots would be able to lead the way, and quickly pinpoint (via a link to a PDA) where the fire is. REDOWL also carries four video cameras, and takes pictures of where the fire is coming from, and uses a laser rangefinder to calculate how far away the shooter is as well. It's been suggested that Packbot/REDOWL also be equipped with a weapon (which Packbot can also carry and use), to return fire at snipers. This was turned down, for now. But it's all one step closer to combat droids roaming the battlefield, doing the fighting.

There are already several different sniper detection systems in use, but these have to be mounted on a vehicle. REDOWL can go anywhere a Packbot can go, and Packbots can go just about anywhere.