US Army looks for a few good robots, sparks industry battle

At stake is a contract worth almost US$500mil (RM2bil) for 3,000 backpack-sized robots that can defuse bombs and scout enemy positions.

The US Army is looking for a few good robots. Not to fight – not yet, at least – but to help the men and women who do.

These robots aren’t taking up arms, but the companies making them have waged a different kind of battle. At stake is a contract worth almost US$500mil (RM2bil) for 3,000 backpack-sized robots that can defuse bombs and scout enemy positions. Competition for the work has spilled over into Congress and federal court.