A GROUP of ''Taliban terrorists'' has been transported from Australia to the United States, where American marines will be allowed to take pot shots at them with live ammunition.

But no matter how many times these enemy targets are hit, they will live to face another day of gunfire, because while they look, move and behave like humans, at least from the thighs up, they are cutting-edge robots.

The robots have the capacity to "think for themselves" as they are programmed to try and escape fire when another robot is shot. Credit:Anthony Johnson

Eight of the robots - made by Sydney company Marathon Targets - have been shipped to the US Marine base at Quantico, Virginia, where US troops train before heading to war zones such as Afghanistan.

Moving on two wheels, the T2 robots have a capacity to ''think for themselves'', as they are programmed to try to escape fire when another robot is shot. While they are autonomous, they can also communicate between themselves.