Robots can be quite handy. They can build useful stuff, like cars, and other robots. Pour a beer for you. Carry things. Blow up buildings. All sorts of stuff. 

The US Army plans to further tap into the potential resources of the robot. Bill Smart, an engineering and computer science prof at the curiously-named Washington University in St. Louis, has been studying the Army's use of robots recently. Earlier this week, in a story posted by the school's news service, Mr. Smart said that the "US Army hopes that approximately 30% of the Army [will be] comprised of robotic forces by approximately 2020."

But don't get too worked up over the possible Great Robo-Human Massacre of 2020. When Mr. Smart said "robotic forces", he doesn't only mean gun-wielding mechas and artificially intelligent fighters planes. A large amount of this 30% figure will be robots to help out with logistics: loading robots, burger serving robots, robotic trucks, and that sort of thing. 

Mr.Smart also points out that when people (such as myself) say 'robots', they really ought to be using the phrase "autonomous systems" instead, which is more accurate.

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