Document RB-210: a projected robot triumph

By Cory Andre Anotado
Collegian Staff
January 31, 2007

In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA, into law. The act allows for the full or partial disclosure of previously unreleased information and documents controlled by the U.S. government. Throughout the years, many previously classified documents have been declassified and released into the scrutiny of the public domain. However, due to fear of mass hysteria or terrorist use, the government often does not publicize, or outright hides, the fact when a classified document of importance to national security slips into public domain. Such is the following document, which was found in the National Archives and Records Administration archive in Washington, D.C. by the Collegian:

CIA Classified Document RB-210: Project Capek:

Czech playwright Karel Capek first coined the term “robot” in his sci-fi play, RUR (Rossum’s Universal Robots). A machine first touted to do the jobs that people would consider tedious or laborious, robots were a myth that quickly turned to reality. When a robotic boat was introduced by Nikola Tesla in 1898, the U.S. government saw immediate potential in the ease of use that robots could provide for national security. Since then, the U.S. military, in its various branches, has used robots to protect the nation at large under Project Capek, the code-name for the use of secret robotics in military actions.

During World War II, Japan was on the warpath, conquering nations in the Pacific, left and right. Seriously, they were everywhere. With a small U.S. gathering in the Philippines, the U.S. Navy thought it best to deploy a small army of robotic soldiers, code-named Robo Joe, owing to the fact that Filipino civilians called American soldiers “Joe.” A group of specially trained Japanese warriors, traditionally known as ninjas, were the first to come across the metal fighters. Traditionally, the ninjas attacked with stealth and cunning, but their sleek ninja swords and throwing stars were no match to Robo Joes’ steel exteriors and speedy motors. Hand-to-hand combat was essentially useless as the robots’ outer parts were impenetrable, and internal sensors of sound and movement, unheard of in common machinery but available to the U.S. military for over a decade, rendered the ninjas’ stealth unusable. Using built-in turrets and vise-like grips, the faction of ninjas were soon defeated, proving the success of the Robo Joes.

The Strait of Malacca is a narrow stretch of water between Peninsular Malaysia and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The link between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, this section of ocean is known for its heavy amounts of piracy. In the late 1980s, a group of pirates known as the Indo-Asian Buccaneers gained notoriety for successfully plundering millions of dollars worth of merchandise coming through the straight. The pirates made sensational news stories due to their keeping in line with the pirates of old, with many having eye patches, peg legs and even parrots on their shoulders. As a second test, the U.S. Marines decided to deploy several waterproof, rust-proof robots, named RJ-312, on a shipment of merchandise on a freighter headed to Alameda, Calif. As expected, the pirates struck and were quickly defeated. Bullets from the pirates’ pistols deflected or barely dented the robots’ outer shell, while a lack of depth perception proved to be fatal for many of the pirates who tried to stab the robots with their cutlasses. Those who tried to escape the robots’ steely grasp either tripped due to their peg leg or fell overboard. With the shipment reaching U.S. shores, the Marines saw the experiment as successful and now, secretly, for merchandise coming to U.S. shores, RJ-312 robots are hidden on every boat.

The superiority of robot usage cannot be ignored in today’s military. Their adaptability, near-invincibility and ease of military resources make robotics the next wave in the battle for homeland security. As Project Èapek continues to thrive, more and more advances are being made in the field of military robotics, protecting the American people from those who wish them harm.

anotadoc1@lasalle.edu