1441055
story
giampy writes
"New Scientist reports the creation of a 'smart bullet' that can be fired at a target and then transmit back informations via wireless connection. The range is 70m. The project is funded by Lockeed Martin and its official goal is the detection of hidden TNT."
Yes, this is a good idea (Score:3, Funny)
The big explosion only tells us that there may have been TNT in the path of the bullet.
I gotta get that Lesko book and figure out how to get my fair share of government pork.
Smart Bullets, Tom Toles, and Spider-Man (Score:5, Interesting)
As far as smart bullets go, it sounds like the little spider transmitters Spider-Man uses to track the henchmen of his enemies, whom he inevitably follows right back to the bad guy's lair just in time to get clobbered by $villain. I wonder if there's an average number of years between the time a technology is introduced in comic books and the time it becomes a reality. Looks to me like it hovers around thirty.
Re:Smart Bullets, Tom Toles, and Spider-Man (Score:3, Interesting)
Dear Logic, why should that be so surprising [blogspot.com]? It should be expected that our technology will continue to get smarter, and faster, than your average "daft" person because of the differences in the rate of evolution.
Soon enough we won't even have to send any "daft" grunts with smart bullets onto the battlefield; we'll send bots who won't question orders [analogik.org] ins
Re:Smart Bullets, Tom Toles, and Spider-Man (Score:1)
Except for the sticky projectile bit tiny little tracking bugs are pretty old hat though.
You'll find the plans for one at Radio Shack in a Forrest Mims III book published in the 80s. I used them in the 90s to track R/C cars. The basic design can be traced back to the 1920s (medical researchers put them in capsules, had subjects swallow them, and then traced the path they followed through the body).
Re:I want my friggen Iron Man armor, darnit. (Score:1)
KFG
Hrmm (Score:5, Funny)
shooting at TNT seems a little risky.
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Hrmm (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:Hrmm (Score:5, Informative)
All explosives are detonated by shock and/or heat. The amount of either depends on the formula used for the explosives. RDX, which is the active component of C-4, is quite sensitive on it's own. C-4 adds plasticizers to both reduce the sensitivity of RDX and to make it more plyable (hence, "plastic" explosives). Setting off explosives uses blasting caps (detonators) to provide the approriate shock to cause the explosive to detonate. This is accomplished by setting off a sensitive amount of explosive, which detonates a slightly more powerful explosive, on up until the last bit is powerful enough to set off the C-4.
The reason that you are required to turn off cell phones and other radio transmitters is because the blasting caps are usually electrically primed, and stray RF can set the caps off. Those long lead wires make very good antennae.
Clarification. (Score:4, Interesting)
Most military high-explosives I've been around don't require much chaining (setting off sequential explosives to detonate a less-sensitive material)... I can't remember the last time I saw anyone use more than a standard cap. (I'm not an bomb/EOD-guy... I've simply been around the stuff a bit).
The original poster's comment about shooting at TNT is funny... because that's exactly how a fair amount of ordinance gets detonated these days. The last time I was in theatre, the EOD guys were using Barrett light-50's (with a type of european incendiary ammo) to detonate mines and other ordinance... a whole lot easier and safer than walking up to it and setting up the shot by hand. My tactical gear was heavy and unwieldy enough... I don't know how you guys are able to do anything in those bomb suits...
Re:Clarification. (Score:3, Insightful)
Well, the amount of heat or force required depends on the particular explosive. But if you have enough of either, you can generally set off whatever you want. Gunpowder takes very little heat, but C-4 requires quite a bit if no shock is involved. You can burn a lot of explosisves without them detonating. Shock is similar.
"when it was supposed to" (Score:2)
I don't know what it is about some bomb guys, but some of them like what they do... I don't mean that they're simply cheerful... I mean they really, really like their work. Some of those guys literally have a gleam in their eye when they're working. They remind me of the kid in schoo
Re:Hrmm (Score:1)
Re:Hrmm (Score:2)
Stupid question, but worth the karma burn: (Score:2)
Re:Hrmm (Score:2)
Sure detonators can be set off b
Re:Hrmm (Score:2)
Very close. With a high explosive, the detonation wave travels faster than the speed of sound in that material. Power aside, the advantage is that such explosives don't have to be confined or tamped, they're self-tamping. (The mechanical impulse that would push material aside travels at the speed of sound.) Low explosives (gunpowder and the like) w
Re:Hrmm (Score:1)
Even if the target doesn't blow up there could be mines between you and where the bullet landed!
SGT Smith: PVT Jones, fire the transmitter on that big hunk of metal.
PVT Jones: Okay, I hit it.
SGT Smith: Okay, the transmitter says its clean. You go over and check it out.
PVT Jones: Good news, I'll run right over there sarge.
SGT Smith: PVT Marshall fire the transmitter on that hunk of metal next to PVT Jones...
This could make investigation easier... (Score:1)
Re:Hrmm (Score:2)
Re:Hrmm (Score:2)
Heh.. umm... so, what... he shoots her every morning before he goes to work, then follows the previous day's signal the next day?
Re:Hrmm (Score:2, Informative)
And you DON'T want to try burning it. Seriously
Small amounts of C4 can be used to start a fire, especially when dealing with moist kindling. Same situation th
Re:Hrmm (Score:1)
Possibly you overestimate the danger. My pop told me it was regular practice for him and his pals to boil water over small C4 fires in Vietnam.
Re:Hrmm (Score:1)
LK
Re:Hrmm (Score:2)
Re:Hrmm (Score:2)
TNT -- trinitrotoluene -- is a compound all its own. Dynamite is (classically) nitroglycerine plus various binders (Fullers earth, sawdust, etc) to make it a little easier to handle than raw nitroglycerine. As it ages, the nitroglycerine (which is a liquid) tends to weep out of the dynamite. That's when it gets dangerous.
Detonation risk aside, nitroglycerine also has physiological effects -- it's a vasodilator, which i
Re:Hrmm (Score:2)
Shake well before each use.
Re:Hrmm (Score:1)
Re:Hrmm (Score:1)
Re:Hrmm (Score:1)
can someone explain the difference between those? Espescially as someone said that there is no difference between them in comics.
The AI bullet (Score:5, Funny)
Re:The AI bullet (Score:2)
Re:The AI bullet (Score:1)
but the real crunch comes when modern weapons become smart enough for self preservation.......or worse still - pacifists [johnny-five.com]...
;)
Re:The AI bullet (Score:2)
Conveniently, the default name for my favorite distro.
Shoot first.... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Shoot^H^H^H^H^H think first... take cover later (Score:2)
Technology won't save troops from deteriorating political situations, it just adds another tool to carry and another IT support problem - and with any projectile-launcher, another way by which to cause civilian injuries and the concomitent reprisals.
Safety can only be gained by acting (in terms of foreign, domestic and social policy) in a manner which does not inspire bloodthirsty desire for vengeance in people of other cultures. Use an ethic
Re:Shoot^H^H^H^H^H think first... take cover later (Score:1, Interesting)
The morning of Sept 11, we had no troops in hostile teritories, no prisoners being held illegally, and no delared wars with any country. Ethics didn't help us avoid that disaster. In fact our commitment to help repel Saddam Hussain in GWI was the spark which
Re:Shoot^H^H^H^H^H think first... (Offtopic) (Score:2, Offtopic)
Disclosure, I'm not a US Citizen, although I suspect you've already realised this. When people speak about the effect the United States has upon the world we're not just discussing military operations.. in fact about the only thing we're not talking about is Joe Public.
I specifically referred to "foreign, industrial and social policy" as I don't see a real distinction. The United State
Re:Shoot^H^H^H^H^H think first... (Offtopic) (Score:1)
Israel was founded prefectly legally and in accordance with a UN Resolution of 1947.
Which resolution was rejected by all Arab countries and they keep defying THAT resolution by denying the r
False dichotomy (Score:2)
I don't think ANYONE believes that Saddam was a "just and kind leader".
I also believe that ANYONE who believes Saddam was a threat to the US is living in a fantasy.
"The morning of Sept 11, we had no troops in hostile teritories, no prisoners being held illegally, and no delared wars with any country."
Well, we had people in Saudi Arabi
Comics (Score:1, Redundant)
Didn't Spider man always use to shoot homing devices on cars etc and track them
Re:Comics (Score:1)
What will we call this? (Score:5, Funny)
We've got warchalking, wardriving, so this would be ... er, warwar?
Re:What will we call this? (Score:1)
I wonder why the range is only 70 meters. They should hire those guys from New Zealand to make a system w/ a longer range.
And then what? (Score:3, Interesting)
The fun part starts if the host could transmit data back to the bullet, telling it how to operate next. Who knows what it can do? Explode, burrow etc...
O.O
This will be the end of cool action shooting scenes in movies though.
Re:And then what? (Score:1)
Understatement? (Score:4, Funny)
Ya think? I know one way bomb squads dispose of potential bombs is to simply blow them up, but to fire a bullet (even if just at paintball speeds) at a potential explosive, just to try to find out if it's an explosive? Seems pretty silly.
Re:Understatement? (Score:2)
And every time, I saw them drive a little car to the pakket and shoot it to pieces.
And yes, I have the exact same question:
WTF?
Re:Understatement? (Score:1)
And besides - what are the bomb-crew supposed to do? bring a ton of explosives and blow the POTENTIAL bomb just to be sure?
if it doesn't go off it's relatively safe to approach the device. if it blows, well then you know the answer - and at least you didn't ADD explosives to the blast.
i think i read that ordinary bomb-crew robots carry either a gun or
Re:Understatement? (Score:2)
Actually, I'm pretty sure the goal of the gun/water-gun is to demolish the workings of the bomb (e.g. the timer/transmitter/etc) so that the bomb doesn't explode.
Using Bomb Disrupters in Demining Operations [jmu.edu]
Robots Make Bomb Disposal Safer [robotbooks.com]
and the bullet said (Score:4, Funny)
That's going to be a lot of bullets to track.
Re:and the bullet said (Score:2)
Andrew: "For the last time, my name isn't 'Jim'."
Really Officer (Score:5, Funny)
Step 1: Fire bullet (Score:4, Funny)
Of little on topic relavence: Have you seen what a blended metal bullet does to a potroast? [gizmodo.com]
Reminds me of an old defence company advert... (Score:5, Funny)
OT: Why can't we moderate stories down? (Score:2, Interesting)
Because that's not how slashdot works. (Score:2, Interesting)
However those sites just somehow haven't wound up being as popular as Slashdot. Go figure. So did Slashdot just get lucky, or is Slashdot actually doing something right?
Re:OT: Why can't we moderate stories down? (Score:2)
Because CowboyNeal doesn't want to be replaced by a very small shell script?
Seriously though it'd be cool: 7 of 15 stories, 8 stories beneath your contempt (or whatever).
Ever heard of Kuro5hin? (Score:2)
K5 [kuro5hin.org] or any other scoop [kuro5hin.org] based site for that matter. Community edited is the keyword you're looking for.
Semi-Dupe (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Semi-Dupe (Score:1, Informative)
Re:Semi-Dupe (Score:1)
The only information transmitted back will be... (Score:1)
"Yup
How about car chases? (Score:2)
This might just save some lives.
Re:How about car chases? (Score:1, Insightful)
So... (Score:4, Interesting)
Actually, never mind, it seems a win-win situation either way.
Fatal Error (Score:1, Funny)
Looks that RFID sniper rifle... (Score:1)
Though I'd guess you'd notice it if you got hit with a paint ball, like this thing is.
And what does a smart bullet say... (Score:4, Funny)
Sorry, it had to be said.
Receiving transmission... (Score:5, Funny)
Something's coming towards me. I wonder if it'll be my friend?
Ack! I've crashed into something! Oooooh! It's really icky in here. There's all sorts of red stuff going past me. I think I'm tumbling, too. Urp! I think I'm going to be sick.
Some kind of hard, white tree or something just shattered on my face.
Well, it looks like the ride has stopped.
Hello? Hello? Anyone out there?
Isn't anyone going to come and get me? It's really noisy here. Sounds like someone's screaming or something. And it really stinks here too. Looks like someone's mixed a septic tank and cow in a wood chipper. What a mess. Who the hell would do this? This sucks! Game over, man, game over!
Re:Receiving transmission... (Score:1)
Story Already Posted On /. (Score:2)
Correct me if I'm wrong... (Score:2)
...but, if you shoot TNT, won't it blow up?
official goal (Score:3, Funny)
Lets not make too many jokes about shooting bullets at explosives. This is only the official goal . I'm sure Ashcroft and his gang have prefectly good reasons for wanting to go around shooting bullets randomly, and hoping to hit TNT. Americans must learn to give up our rights and safety and sanity in the fight against terrorism.
Like any other technology, this could be abused (Score:3, Interesting)
What is the ID Sniper Rifle?
To put it short, the idea is to implant a GPS microchip in the body of a human being, using a high-powered sniper rifle as the long distance injector. The microchip will enter the body and stay there, causing no internal damage, and only a very small amount of physical pain to the target. It will feel like a mosquito bite, lasting a fraction of a second.
At the same time, a digital camcorder with a zoom lens fitted within the scope will take a high-resolution picture of the target. This picture will be stored on a memory card for later image-analysis. GPS microchip technology is already being used for tracking millions of pets in various countries, and the logical solution is to use it on humans as well, when the situation demands it.
-------------
Projectiles witht the ability to "phone home" are in our near future. How long can we expect to wait until something like the ID Sniper Rifle really exists?
Check out Boeskov's account of the weapons fair- crazy! http://events.thing.net/Boeskov_text.html [thing.net]
Re:Like any other technology, this could be abused (Score:1)
Re:Like any other technology, this could be abused (Score:2)
Yummm... FoxDIE
Re:Like any other technology, this could be abused (Score:2)
Re:Like any other technology, this could be abused (Score:1)
Hunting (Score:3, Interesting)
Now, assuming the bullet didnt go all the way through, instead of following drops of blood for miles we can follow the bullet. It says the range is only 70m, but maybe that'll get better by the time they (maybe) release it for the public.
B/c for reasons other than hunting, it sounds completely pointless.
Re:Hunting (Score:1)
70m or 70mi? (Score:2)
"Hey Bob, where's the smart bullet?"
"Let me check the computer...hmm, over...there, next to the coffee machine."
Seriously, what the hell use is a tracking device that's only good for 70 meters? Or did the poster use the wrong units, and it should have been 70 mi?
Why Smart? (Score:2)
Used in GitS (Score:2)
Life imitating art?
"lockeed"? (Score:1)
but its Lock h eed dammit
I'm sure it's been said. (Score:3, Funny)
Dozens of miltary agents and officers stand in front of cars parked in the street. Lights are flashing, numerous troops stand around, guns drawn, facing a building.
Across the street, a badly shaven, greasy-looking middle-eastern (sterotype = terrorist, a la "True Lies") holding an automatic rifle in one hand, defenseless female in another screams threats from the large white house.
"Call in the sniper-detector" said the large, square-jawed Marine commander.
Up comes a small, wiry man in camoflauge, donning thick eye-distorting glasses. There's a weird electro-mechanical contraption vaguely resembling a satellite dish fixed to his military helmet.
"Sniper-detector Melvin reporting for duty, sir!" says the wiry gent.
"I need you to tell me if there are any explosives in that there building!" screams the military commander.
"Aye sir!" screams back the nerdly sniper-detector in a fearful tone.
Melvin promptly enters and briefly emerges from an unmarked, large, black moving truck parked nearby, holding a long, powerful-looking sniper rifle, on which is an enormous-looking scope.
"Here, I need you to shoot this into the building when I tell you to!", says Melvin to a nearby, muscular ground trooper. "Make sure not to hit anybody!" he adds with intent and feeling.
Melvin then disappears into the back of the large, black truck.
"OK!" comes the muffled scream from Melvin in the back of the truck.
With a barely perceptible nod, the trooper takes the gun, and with careful, confident smoothness, the trooper points the rifle at the building, and carefully takes aim at the building and carefully fires a single shot.
KABOOM!
Boards and shrapnel fly in all directions, the blast blowing back everybody standing against the ground. Windshields and car windows are shattered, a hubcap noisily rolls by, eventually coming to rest against a heavily damaged 2x4.
Officers and agents get up, dusting themselves off, one officer screaming in pain off in the distance. As officers and infantryman check each other to assess the damage, the back door of the truck flies open.
"Good news, sir!" says Melvin, suddenly pausing as he surveys the damage all around.
"What's that, dammit!" screams the commander.
"Well, sir, I was going to say that there was no sign of nuclear weapons, just some plastic explosives..."
So you're telling me (Score:2)
Why not just go sit on top of it and light up.
Alternatively... (Score:1)
riiiiight (Score:2)
Tom Selleck in Runaway (Score:2)
Re:Tom Selleck in Runaway (Score:1)
Bullet Control (Score:1)
Old News...Tom Selleck already knew about it (Score:1)
and it is a movie by Michael Crichton ! he is a genius...
Re:I have just one question. (Score:1)
Re:I have just one question. (Score:1)
No, I'm thinking "offtopic" :-) Now Jessica Rabbit that's a different matter...
No, Darkstar (Score:1)
Cesare
Re:I have just one question. (Score:2)
No, I was thinking more of Runaway (1984) [imdb.com], an old Michael Crichton film starring Tom Selleck. The bad guy had a gun that recorded the IR signature of the target when it fired. The bullets would then track you round corners etc. - even through crowds.
I remember it as a pretty fun film to watch - esp. the small spider robots with the poison syringes...
Re:That sounds like a plan. (Score:1)
The idea here is to get the sensor closer to the explosives. But I think building a sensor that will survive the penetration will be very difficult.
Re:Thinking about defusing bombs... (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Thinking about defusing bombs... (Score:2)