A U.S. army soldier maneuvers &quot;Hermes&quot; the robot into a cave to detect for mines, traps, and other unexploded ordinance as well as weapons or equipment possibly hidden by Taliban or al-Qaeda fugitives July 29, 2002in the eastern border town of Qiqay, Afghanistan. The current war in Afghanistan marks the first time robots have been deployed by conventional forces. Photo: Pool, Getty / 2002 Getty Images