Military Robots
No toy
This unmanned spy plane built by the German army, dubbed LUNA, has been used to assist weapons inspectors in Iraq with powerful surveillance.
Deep-sea mission
The "Magnum ROV" was built by the US Navy to help recover items deep under the sea, such as flight recorders from crashed planes. The device is controlled by an operator using huge robotic arms.
Drone warfare
Robotic warfare is also seen in the sky ... here a Shura Council of Mujahedeen insurgent displays a remote-controlled US military drone shot down in Iraq.
Neighbourhood watch
A similar bomb-disposal robot was called to suburban Melbourne last September after thieves blew up an ATM and a butcher's shop, scattering debris over a 200m area.
Preventing more carnage
Remotely-operated robots have also helped defuse roadside bombs during the Iraq conflict. This "ordinance disposal" unit, developed by robotics company Talon, moves through debris in Baghdad.
Life-saving potential
Robots are already playing an increasingly practical role in modern warfare. Here US marines are taught how to use a robot to search for improvised explosive devices at Camp Leatherneck in Afghanistan's Helmand province.
Gotcha!
Japanese prototype T-34 can be operated remotely by mobile phone and launch a net to capture an intruder. The robot, unveiled in January, is loaded with sensors that detect anything untoward in an office building.
Best eyes around
South Korean commandos using a robot to guide them through a anti-terror exercise in March last year, part of a joint military exercise with the US government.
Meet BigDog
US robotics company Boston Electronics last year unveiled a four-legged mechanical monster that can negotiate icy terrain, leap like a deer and keep its balance when kicked. The robot, dubbed BigDog, was made with a $10 million grant from the US military.
Robo-hummingbird takes flight
Military-backed researchers in the US have a built a tiny flying robot that looks and moves like a hummingbird. The developers hope to use the hummingbird for surveillance and the transportation of spy-related cargo such as listening devices.
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