The world is sleepwalking into an international robot arms race, an expert will warn today.

Prof Noel Sharkey fears increased research by countries including America, Russia, China and Israel will lead to the use of battlefield robots that can decide when to kill within 10 years.

He will also predict that it is only a matter of time before robots become a standard terrorist weapon, replacing suicide bombers.

Prof Sharkey, of the University of Sheffield's Department of Computer Science, will outline his concerns in a speech at a conference in Whitehall, London, on the ethics of unmanned military systems organised by the Royal United Services Institute, a respected defence think tank.

Prof Sharkey, best known as a judge in the BBC television series Robot Wars, said: "There's a massive drive towards developing autonomous robots for more complex missions. We are rapidly moving towards robots that can make the decision to apply lethal force, when to apply it and who to apply it to. I think maybe we're talking about a 10-year time frame.

"If one country develops autonomous robots, it is clear that other countries will follow suit."

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