As fans of the Terminator films will know, the machines were due to rise up against their human masters on 29 August 1997. Being machines, of course, there were a few technical hitches, but now the moment has arrived. After many years of development and testing, America's National Nuclear Security Administration has finally announced that an autonomous robot soldier has begun patrolling its radioactive waste facility in Nevada.

If this conjures up the image of some sleek android pitilessly scanning the horizon, then you are going to be disappointed. The actual automaton, or "Mobile Detection Assessment Response System", looks like a golf buggy full of microscopes. And instead of any meaningful kind of gun, the MDARS comes equipped with just a bright light and a loudspeaker (through which, presumably, the remote operator can shout things such as, "Oi, you there!" and "Put that back!").

To its credit, the MDARS can roll around the compound at up to a terrifying 20mph, and it is expected to save the Nevada site more than $1m a year on labour and equipment costs. With a few minor adjustments, moreover, it could also be fitted with a weapon that the US navy is currently working on. This would enable the machine to fire paint and pepper capsules with the capacity to simply ruin an intruder's outfit.

Before you scoff, however, take note that other, more fearsome robot soldiers are also on the way. Israel, for instance, is developing its own version, which goes by the name of the Guardium (no relation). This machine, which looks like an angry tractor, is being built by a company called G-Nius, and will also be highly autonomous, with similar features that enable it to move independently and shout at people. Indeed, it is reported to have been used on Israel's borders already, and includes the potential for a live machine gun that can be programmed to return fire.

At this stage, admittedly, the technology looks cumbersome and slow, but if the Terminator films taught us anything (besides a lot of one-liners) it is that technology evolves. By the end of the century, you mark my words, it is the MDARS and the Guardium's pictures that will be on our banknotes. In the meantime, while we wait, surely a televised duel can be arranged?

• This article was amended on 25 October 2010. The original headline read Robot soldiers patrol Nasa's radioactive waste dump. This has been corrected.