U.S. Military’s Top-Secret Tunnel-Crawling Robot Revealed – Part 3

Equipped with AI-Based Recognition, Judgment, and Exploration Software

A notable feature of the ATE robot development process is that both the U.S. and South Korea have applied common middleware (robot operation processing software), interfaces, and data formats to their robots, considering future cooperation to cultivate the ability of joint operations based on future robots. Both countries independently developed robot hardware and software and integrated them to create synergy in robot technology.

In particular, ADD designed and manufactured a modularized robot that can change its shape according to its function and mission through research and development. It installed the latest AI technology-based recognition, judgment, and exploration software, which it developed independently onto the ATE robot. Regarding operation and management aspects, it is possible to remotely control it from a mobile phone or tablet, allowing one operator to operate multiple robots simultaneously.

The military authorities of South Korea and the U.S. have agreed to jointly research and develop robots that can remove the enemy’s weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), such as nuclear, biochemical, and radioactive weapons, and further concretize the institutional framework. The defense industry analyzed this as the level of research and development of Korea’s conventional weapons system, which has been accumulated in countering the threat of the North Korean military, has risen to the ranks of advanced defense nations. The U.S. highly evaluated it as a “win-win” with joint research, development, and exports.

The Ministry of National Defense and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration have decided to establish a regular deputy minister consultation body between the defense authorities of South Korea and the U.S. to strengthen the cooperation in defense technology, including artificial intelligence (AI). Considering the trend of defense science and technology determining the victory or defeat of wars and becoming a force for the realization of national interests, the deputy ministers of defense of South Korea and the U.S. regularly meet to discuss defense science and technology cooperation in terms of policy, strategy, and comprehensive dimensions.

The deputy minister consultation body sets the agenda for defense technology cooperation, such as the direction of joint research and development of weapons between the two countries. It also discusses ways to apply civilian advanced technology to weapon development and quickly weaponize it. It was reported that the departments of defense from both countries would sign related terms of reference for this purpose this year.

Development of Robot to Quickly Remove North Korean Nuclear and Biochemical Weapons

It is known that they have agreed to speed up the development of weapons through joint research and development, such as robots for removing weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and equipment for removing improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

This is because North Korea is assessed to have the ability to produce various types of biological weapons and store chemical weapons of 2,500 to 5,000 tons. Therefore, there is a recognition that a robot is needed to quickly remove them without causing casualties to friendly forces in a similar situation.

There was also a consensus that equipment to remove improvised explosive devices, such as the wooden box mines that North Korea buried in the Western Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in 2015, should be developed first because of the high likelihood that they could have been planted along DMZ friendly search corridors. In the case of the U.S., it is expected to use the IED removal equipment to protect U.S. forces in overseas operation areas such as the Middle East if it is jointly developed.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff and the U.S. Forces Korea deemed WMD removal robots and IED removal equipment necessities in joint operations. When the Korea-U.S. Defense Science and Technology Cooperation Center is established around 2027, the tasks derived from the demands of the two countries’ militaries will be expanded, and research and development will be activated.

To Read Part 1…
To Read Part 2…