"Israeli Robots Remake Battlefield"

[Stan]

I'd like to interfere a bit with the global love for robots.

That's easily done by pointing out how old such news are.
Her's a text from January 2009:

There was also a Japanese "UGV" (an armed RC tank actually) during the 1930's - a functional prototype.

Hey Fuchs, do you have a link to that story ?

Concur, nothing new unless you've been operating one for the last 11 years, which would give you a better idea as to how evolved and functional they are in a variety of situations. Our robots carry and interface via optics sophisticated equipment into radioactive areas, x-ray real-time imagery on UXO and IED, provide surveillance during law enforcement support, and last but certainly not least, often translate into saving human (your) life.

Also, what we use would more accurately be called "waldos" since they're really just projections of the will of the operator, rather than autonomous machines.

Hmmm, check out just what the Israelis actually have and what it does...

Among the recently deployed technologies that set Israel ahead of the curve is the Guardium unmanned ground vehicle, which now drives itself along the Gaza and Lebanese borders. The Guardium was deployed to patrol for infiltrators in the wake of the abduction of soldiers doing the same job in 2006. The Guardium, developed by G-nius Ltd., is essentially an armored off-road golf cart with a suite of optical sensors and surveillance gear. It was put into the field for the first time 10 months ago.