Modern technology could soon be providing a helping hand to soldiers in Iraq, who have had no shortage of examples of the extreme dangers they face there. As part of a plan to reduce the risk from snipers and booby traps, experts have developed an armed robot. The US company Foster Miller is behind the project, and its vice president, Arnes Mangolis, says the remote-controlled recruits could be on the ground in Iraq by next year.

He said: “By having a standoff of say 800 metres of the robot to the enemy, and then the soldier himself can be offset by another 800 metres, the enemy will never see the soldier, much less reach him. So the soldier can now basically assess the situation in a clam manner.” The robot, known as Talon, began helping explosives experts in Bosnia in 2000. If all goes well though it could soon become a familiar sight fighting on the front lines.

Copyright © 2012 euronews