Mark Hamill, the actor best known for bringing the iconic Star Wars character Luke Skywalker to life on screen, has some experience with robots. He spent memorable time, after all, with two of the most famous robots in the universe — C3PO and R2D2. Those two George Lucas creations are both members of Carnegie Mellon University’s Robot Hall of Fame.
Hamill remains a supporter of robotic technologies and has been working with Harvard professor Timothy Snyder on a project to deploy robots in Ukraine — specifically to de-mine large swaths of Ukrainian land that is at present perilous to traverse. That is because, as Snyder writes:
“Much of the territory under the control of the Ukrainian government was mined by Russia. Millions of Russian mines and other ordnance will kill and maim for decades, if nothing is done. The mines prevent Ukrainians from returning to their homes and farms and businesses.”
Reporting on the project Snyder embarked on with Hamill, Snyder says “de-mining is dangerous work. It is usually done by human beings, at great risk to themselves. But simple robotic platforms can do this job instead. And so Mark and I agreed to raise finds for thirty such platforms.”
In an update today, Snyder reports that the project — called Safe Terrain — is just $10,000 short of its goal of $441,000 to finance the “thirty robotic platforms” to “get those mines cleared,” decreasing the level of stress and danger for Ukrainians living with high levels of both after the Russian incursion and continual bombing. (Snyder says the project is “98%” there.)
Jointly with @UNITED24 ambassador @TimothyDSnyder checked the operation of 🇺🇦 clearing mines robotics products.
Kind reminder: recently Professor Snyder together with @MarkHamill started special fundraising campaign – Safe Terrain.
Join: https://t.co/DgYZSYaBtn pic.twitter.com/pMbXwHPwml
— Mykhailo Fedorov (@FedorovMykhailo) September 16, 2024
Snyder visited with the Ukrainian minister of digital transformation, Mykhaïlo Fedorov, in September to watch the test of three de-mining robots — distant cousins of C3PO et all — and reported, to give a feeling of the work being done, that “anti-Tank mines are very loud.”
These de-mining robots aren’t the only — or even the most prominent — use of robotic technologies by Ukraine as it remains at war with Russia. Fedorov, recently shared the post below on X, showing
https://t.co/kMQbPPs2Ds
— Mykhailo Fedorov (@FedorovMykhailo) December 2, 2024
