In the 20th century, attempts to regulate weapons were commonplace. A number of regulations and treaties were developed in response to fears that weaponry would cause greater harm than good. These include the bans upon the use of nuclear weapons in space and on the moon, on chemical weapons, on landmines, and on other weapons. These treaties were driven both by civil societies and the general public.
The future of weaponry will likely be very different than the past. With the advent of miniaturized computing, we can expect to see machines that are molecular in size. This is a technology that could be mass-produced and will allow us to develop weapons that are smaller and more effective. This technology could be used in place of chemical weapons and can also be used for the creation of new kinds or deadly weapons.
One idea that has been floated around is the creation of autonomous weapons. These autonomous weapons would be able to attack any terrain. They would be fitted with sensors to detect enemy movements and relay this information to the commanders. They would not have radio signals and it would be difficult, if any, to determine who launched them. It would also make it more difficult to identify and distinguish noncombatants. They could also be used to attack civilians or ships that are not manned by non-combatant forces.
China had a strong April pitch to the UN for an end to autonomous weapons. The Chinese view that such weapons have the potential to cause a destabilizing effect on countries. They see the need to establish international law to regulate fully-autonomous weapons. However, these ideas are incredibly abstract and difficult to translate to technical terms.
Although it was originally designed to hunt for submarines and mines by the US Navy, it is now being considered as a place for weapons. There have been five meetings on drones at the United Nations in Geneva in the past four years. These meetings have not been able to bring everyone together. They were short-lived, however they did allow for the development of parameters as well as exploration of the concept of human control over warshipry.
A second idea is the development and use of killer satellites. These machines could launch "brilliant stones" that destroy ballistic missiles. They could be used to attack targets hidden in caves or bunkers. They could be used for hunting human targets or eating them alive.
The future of weaponry will likely be a mix of many ideas. Some imagine machines that can kill people, while others envision superhuman machines. It's clear that biotechnology, computing, and robotics will have a major impact on the future war. This will make war more humane and less barbaric. It will also help to make war safer and more pristine.
Future robots could fight on the ground. Commanders could also control robots from far away. There will be thousands upon thousands of sensors that can monitor the battlefield and use mini microphones to transmit information. These sensors will be used to provide intelligence and real-time information on enemy movements, as well as seeding the battlefield with data.