GenZedong

4624 readers

121 users here now

This is a Dengist community in favor of Bashar al-Assad with no information that can lead to the arrest of Hillary Clinton, our fellow liberal and queen. This community is not ironic. We are Marxists-Leninists.

See this GitHub page for a collection of sources about socialism, imperialism, and other relevant topics.

This community is for posts about Marxism and geopolitics (including shitposts to some extent). Serious posts can be posted here or in /c/GenZhou. Reactionary or ultra-leftist cringe posts belong in /c/shitreactionariessay or /c/shitultrassay respectively.

We have a Matrix homeserver and a Matrix space. See this thread for more information. If you believe the server may be down, check the status on status.elara.ws.

Rules:

No bigotry, anti-communism, pro-imperialism or ultra-leftism (anti-AES)
We support indigenous liberation as the primary contradiction in settler colonies like the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Israel
If you post an archived link (excluding archive.org), include the URL of the original article as well
Unless it's an obvious shitpost, include relevant sources
For articles behind paywalls, try to include the text in the post
Mark all posts containing NSFW images as NSFW (including things like Nazi imagery)

founded 4 years ago

MODERATORS

GrainEater@lemmygrad.ml

ComradePupIvy@lemmygrad.ml

Elara@lemmygrad.ml

American_Communist22@lemmygrad.ml

The Dark Horse of WW3: Humanoid Robots (lemmygrad.ml)

submitted 3 weeks ago by Xiisadaddy@lemmygrad.ml to c/genzedong@lemmygrad.ml

33 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Recently Hangzhou, Zhejiang based Unitree announced a humanoid robot that costs just 39,999 yuan, or 5,900 USD.

It is capable of doing complex movements like hand stands, cartwheels, punching, lying down prone, and standing up again on its own. It weighs 25 Kilos, and is about as tall as a smaller sized human.

I think this is an area we should be paying very special attention to. AI is getting all the hype, but it's unlikely to have a big effect on the outcome of a war. Being able to mass produce soldiers though? That's a game changer.

These robots would work in any terrain a human can once water proofed, and could be remotely piloted by human soldiers. Retrofitting them with weapons systems would be simple, and they could have armor plating added on so they could just stand under heavy fire and be fine. You'd need higher caliber rounds to take them out. (Exactly the things that the US is floundering to secure metals to make since China controls so much of the rare earth industry).

I don't think it's hyperbole to say that these could be the equivalent of the invention of the musket. If WW3 happens sometime in the next decade i expect the world to be shocked as it becomes clear war will never be the same again. It's like a countdown has begun where everyday we get closer to the moment one of these is first used in a peer conflict, and an arms race begins. One China already seems to be winning before it even starts.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] Commiejones@lemmygrad.ml 7 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

The ability to hack/jam signals will make onboard AI very important. They have had to start using fiber optic cables to control suicide drones in Ukraine. You can't do that with infantry for so many reasons.

I think the humanoid shape will be a novelty/specialty use case. Our frame is not the most efficient. We are tree dwellers who have adapted to life on the ground.

[–] Xiisadaddy@lemmygrad.ml 7 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Hacking and jamming will be an issue for all warfare going forward yeah. As for the human shape i think its important to note WHERE we fight wars. Typically it is in areas designed around humans. Our infrastucture is all designed for human use. So having a robot shaped like a human means it can use all the same infrastucture we can. and the same tools. For example making something too wide and it cant fit through a door.

[–] Horse@lemmygrad.ml 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

a small quad copter with a rifle caliber gun and good targeting software would be more effective and cheaper

[–] Xiisadaddy@lemmygrad.ml 4 points 3 weeks ago

I responded to your other comment already so read that too, but i want to add something. If quad copters were going to replace infantry they already would have. We see in Russia, and Ukraine that is not the case. They of course have their uses, but they supplement infantry not replace it. Robotic humanoids replace infantry. They are not competeing with quad copters for their role. It's apples, and oranges.