Tom Cruise had to dodge them in Minority Report. Tom Selleck had to catch them in Runaway. In the scifi future, robot spiders are a part of everyday life and they're a problem. Now, thanks to a military contract, the creatures are going to be a part of our lives; hopefully, they'll lead us down a better path.

Defense giant BAE Systems has signed a $38 million agreement with the U.S. Army to create a series of tiny electronic spiders, insects and snakes that will become the eyes and ears of soldiers on the battlefield. Some will be able to detect the presence of chemical, biological or radioactive weapons.

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