Robots may be the first responders in case of another nuclear disaster

In the event of another disaster at a nuclear power plant, the first responders may not be humans but robots. They may not even look humanoid.

The Pentagon's research and development agency is to announce a competition Tuesday to design specialized robots that can work in disaster zones while operating common tools and vehicles.

And while such tasks may well inspire humanoid designs, roboticists say they may also lead to the robotic equivalent of the Minotaur - a hybrid creature that might have multiple arms and not just legs but treads.

Rumors of the challenge have already set professional and amateur robot builders buzzing about possible designs and alliances. Aaron Edsinger, a founder of Meka Robotics in San Francisco, said he was speaking with fellow roboticists around the country and was considering a wide array of possible inspirations.

Are We Ready To Have Robots Fighting Our Battles

Leslea Mair got a new floor sweeper - a puppy-like robot that happily cleans up crumbs before returning to its corner to recharge. But then she wondered about its cousins - the ones with machine guns strapped to their backs.

When the U.S. and their allies entered Iraq in 2003, they had no robotics fleet. Today, they have 7,000 unmanned vehicles in the air and another 12,000 on the ground.Another 43 countries, including Canada, now have dogs in the global robotic fight.

Mair, a Regina-based documentary film producer for Zoot Pictures, believes people just accept the growing use of drones and self-guiding vehicles without understanding the ethical burden they carry.

"If we wait too long, there won't be (room) for debate," says Mair, whose documentary Remote Control War airs on CBC's Doc Zone on Thursday night.

"There's something a little cold-blooded about targeting someone from the other side of the planet. You actually toss a bomb and someone dies - then you take your kids to soccer. "Some people think it's a really good thing, while "¦ others see there are problems."