Pearl Harbor Post: World War II Robots
It was called the “day that would live in infamy,” but unfortunately today it is marginalized by politics and gossip. While there are many monuments for the soldiers, there are a few words for the robots that won the war.
World War II gave birth to many modern inventions that shape our lives from radar to jets to the atomic bomb. The Germans used their engineering and manufacturing skills to build an army of “Goliath tracked mines”, or remote controlled attack vehicles. To counter these devices, the Soviets built their own robotic tank unit, called “teletanks”. These wirelessly remote controlled unmanned tanks assisted the Red Army in defeating the Nazis. Teletanks didn’t just move independently but when it for the kill with their machine guns, flamethrowers and bombs. Amazingly, the Teletank was able to recognize 24 different commands sent via radio signals, and even switch radio channels when interference and jamming became a problem. Of course, Teletank would self distruct if it ever ended up in enemy hands.
So as we remember the tragedy of December 7, 1941, we also recall the ingenuity that gave us the freedom that we enjoy today.
They were not built to counter Goliaths. They were built much before the war with Germany, and were intended to attack Finnish fortifications.