It's rough for robots in the armed services lately. Lack of funding is forcing the United States military to end the Army's Future Combat Systems program and eliminate many robotic soldiers, including autonomous helicopters and mine-sniffing transport vehicles.

The good news is that some of the remaining funds are being used to upgrade existing programs in an attempt to integrate the technology "in a fiscally responsible manner." I say we just plain need to start working on a way to call some Autobots in for help. [The Hill via Wired via PopSci]