Innovations & technologies

‘Siri, Bomb Them’: US Army to Equip Soldiers With Voice-Command Weapons

The Army recently released plans to expand biometric identification for command mechanisms on hand-held wireless devices that soldiers are equipped with in the battlefield. Beginning in fiscal year 2017 the devices will have voice command technology.

At present, soldiers use handheld devices comparable to smartphones and iPads to order strikes, navigate around land-mines, and transmit vital information. These devices need constant upgrading, as the US Army cites repeated failures by soldiers in the field to login or execute commands while wearing sand-covered gloves. Soldiers also cannot safely tuck away their weapons while typing on a device keyboard.