REX - A soldier's best friend - or Rincewind's "luggage" brought to life?

Israel Aerospace Industries' (IAI) REX is a small robotic platform designed to accompany ground forces on operations and can carry up to 200 kilograms, catering for groups of 3-10 troops on operational and logistical missions for up to 72 hours without refueling, REX acts as a robotic “beast of burden” for the modern soldier.

REX has both military and civil applications.

“The REX platform is unique in its state-of-the-art operational capabilities and its user-friendly interface, both of which are central to the platform’s superior performance,” explained Ofer Glazer, head of innovation at IAI. “The robotic vehicle follows the lead soldier from a given distance, utilizing technology developed and patented by IAI. Using simple commands, including ’stop’, ‘fetch’, and ‘heel’, the lead soldier controls the robot without being distracted from the mission at hand. Controlling the robot in this way allows for intuitive interaction and rapid integration of the product on the field within a short time frame,” Glazer added.


Is anyone else thinking that this sounds somewhat like Rincewind's "luggage" from the Terry Pratchett Discworld novels? Isn't it nice when sci-fi/fantasy concepts get brought to life by science?



Thanks to Double Tapper for the spot.