The vehicle glides over the rough Afghan terrain, scanning for militants and insurgent troops in training. Thousands of miles away, in Nevada, a soldier helps the plane navigate the chosen course.rnThe unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) represents one of the latest examples of high-tech equipment increasingly in demand in battle zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan. The vehicles are also serving both security and civilian purposes here in the United States, such as zooming along the edges of forest fires or hovering in clouds to collect atmospheric activity.rnAutonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) are being designed to serve similar security and civilian purposes, but in a marine environment; to test for chemical plumes or evaluate oil spills; to investigate potential terrorist threats from ships; and to conduct scientific surveys of underwater environments.
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