An armed TALON robot patrols a convention center defended by non-lethal “dazzler” carpet.

Three SWORDS TALON teleoperated robots have become the first armed land robots in a war zone.

The SWORDS—modified versions of bomb-disposal robots used throughout Iraq—were first declared ready for duty back in 2004. But concerns about safety kept the robots from being sent over the the battlefield. The machines had a tendency to spin out of control from time to time. That was an annoyance during ordnance-handling missions; no one wanted to contemplate the consequences during a firefight.

So the radio-controlled robots were retooled, for greater safety. In the past, weak signals would keep the robots from getting orders for as much as eight seconds—a significant lag during combat. Now, the SWORDS won't act on a command, unless it's received right away. A three-part arming process—with both physical and electronic safeties—is required before firing. Most importantly, the machines now come with kill switches, in case there's any odd behavior. “So now we can kill the unit if it goes crazy,” Zecca says.

Oh man.