Robotics manufacturers are scrambling for more than a half billion dollars in Pentagon contracts for battlefield robots that will defuse bombs and scout ahead for soldiers on the battlefield. That's according to a new Associated Press report about the U.S. military's efforts to purchase thousands of "backpack-sized" robots that troops can deploy to take bullets in dangerous situations -- and its fear that it could be outpaced by similar efforts by China and Russia. These battlefield robots aren't killer bots capable of using lethal force autonomously, a class of machine that is currently being debated worldwide. Rather, U.S. military leaders are interested in intermediary devices like Endeavor Robotics' treadmill-sporting Centaur bot, which can perform reconnaissance and disable explosives -- bots that soldiers can put in harm's way instead of themselves.

The auto maker had previously provided 600 Pacifica minivans to Waymo, which has equipped cars with its driverless technology in 25 U.S. cities, including most recently in Atlanta, for testing. Since October, Waymo has tested the minivans without people behind the steering wheel in suburban Phoenix, where the weather is sunny and in a state receptive to the technology. The company announced in November plans to begin giving rides to select residents as part of a public trial. On Tuesday, Waymo said it expects to open the ride-hailing service to the general public in the Phoenix area this year as a commercial service. During a demonstration in October, the minivans had screens welcoming customers aboard and instructing them to push a blue "start ride" button on the ceiling.