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Speech of May 3rd. Cercle Prospective Terre. G. Guillerme, CEO of ECA Group
Many armies have been using robots for several decades. ECA Group, itself, has supplied MINIROGEN robots (known as Cobras at ECA) as well as DROGEN robots (IT180s at ECA) to the French army. One of ECA's core businesses is robotics (with unmanned vehicles that operate on water, under water, on land, and in the air) along with our simulation and aeronautical activities. One of the characteristics of ground robots for the market as a whole, is their limited level of autonomy and automatization.
Ground robots are mainly used to limit soldiers’ exposure to danger. This key objective is not going to diminish in armies. Robots will therefore become increasingly present in armed forces. I will add that that the reluctance of current or past generations is becoming less pronounced and the coming generations expect and are ready to integrate these types of products, enabling the spreading of this technology.
Robots are much more specialized that humans and will be for a very long time. A human being is very sophisticated mechanically and robots will not match them in terms of flexibility and versatility any time soon. The battlefield will therefore witness the simultaneous evolution of different types of robots: large, small, with wheels, tracked, humanoid… This is why, with our very good understanding of mobile wheel-based systems, ECA Group decided to invest in humanoid robots by creating ECA Dynamics last summer.
The multiplication of robots in armed forces implies that the latter are adapting their modes of action and their organization to team up with these new players in the battlefield.
Beyond the diversity of robots, forces will also have at their disposal robots that are increasingly autonomous that will become true partners in combat. This is the major challenge of the coming decade – Autonomy and Cooperation – and ECA Group decided to invest in this challenge which is made easier by the fact that we already have various types de robots. The same MMI, the same protocols let us devise more interactions and complex missions involving several specialized robots.
Integrating highly diverse and increasingly autonomous robots implies that the industry is devising the most standardized ways of relating or interacting as possible: Interactions between robots, interactions between soldiers and robots. As with between human beings, cooperation will heavily depend on the abilities to understand and communicate with each other: How will the robot make itself understood by the soldier and especially, how will the soldier make sure he is understood by the robot?
Finally, I would not be able to address this subject of terrestrial robots without mentioning armed robots. Will they become a reality? Yes, they already are. Anyone who refuses to consider this kind of utilization will take away its significant advantages over the conflict of the 1930s or 40s. Armed robots multiply forces while reducing soldiers’ exposure. It enables rich countries that are less populous to restore the balance of power with poorer countries with a high population. You can even imagine that a military branch consisting of armed intelligent robots will ensure a country’s self-protection. It will detect human presence very early and will be able to neutralize the adversary before being attacked. ECA Group only makes robots for protecting human beings.
In a few decades, soldiers will work daily alongside robots that will probably perform more effective and repetitive tasks than a soldier today. These robots will be very autonomous and will communicate effectively with those around them. They will perform numerous and varied tasks. They will significantly reinforce the efficiency of our soldiers.
It is the duty of all of us to prepare ourselves for this great change. Forces must come up with the expected benefits and therefore the robots desired or desirable. Manufacturers must come up with new ideas and build robots that will give an advantage to our grandchildren in case of danger. To spare them the worry as with the Egyptians who saw the invaders from the North coming with chariots 3000 years ago…
For more information about ECA Group skills in several domains: robotics, automated systems, simulation and industrial processes.
