Most medics killed in battle die while trying to extract or care for wounded soldiers on the battlefield. A dcmiltary.com article says Gary Gilbert of the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC) decided this was a job where robots could save lives. By using a robot to extract the wounded, the medic doesn't have to face direct enemy fire and the wounded soldier has better odds of being treated quickly. The first Robotic Extraction Vehicles were teleoperated 6-wheeled bots that looked remarkably like standard bomb disposal robots. The wounded soldier had to roll onto a sled which the robot then dragged off the battlefield. A more advanced prototype, called the BEAR, looks like an unmanned Segway with a fork lift. The BEAR can bend down and scoop up a wounded soldier even if he is completely incapacitated. For more information including video of prototype robots in action, see the TATRC Autonomous Casualty Care Program website. It's nice to see some miltary robot that saves lives instead of taking them for a change.