Some Soldiers Are So Attached To Their Battle Robots They Hold Funerals For Them When They 'Die'

A study out of the University of Washington shows that soldiers who use bomb disposal robots on battlefields become somewhat emotionally attached to them — to the point of holding funerals for them when they "die." Julie Carpenter, who just received her UW doctorate in education, says this could affect "outcomes on the battlefield" if the military makes more human- or pet-like robots in the future. Currently, bomb disposal robots look like tanks with a crane on top — not very anthropomorphic...