5 replies to this topic

[Osiris]

Just saw this, never thought the bullet would get to this point. Did a quick search couldnt see anything sorry if its been posted already:

Quote

US Government researchers have created self-guided bullets that can find their way to a target up to 2km away.

The dart-like bullet was invented by engineers at Sandia National Laboratories in California and features a laser-guided system.

Sandia researchers Red Jones and Brian Kast fitted the bullet with a built-in optical sensor that can be guided by shining a laser beam on a target.

“The sensor sends information to guidance and control electronics that use an algorithm to command electromagnetic actuators. These actuators steer tiny fins that guide the bullet to the target,” Sandia National Laboratories website says.

Mr Jones said the bullet can self-correct its navigational path 30 times a second, all while flying more than twice the speed of sound.

“The bullet flies straight due to its aerodynamically stable design, which consists of a centre of gravity that sits forward in the projectile and tiny fins that enable it to fly without spin, just as a dart does," Mr Jones said

Bullet fitted with an LED in a nighttime test showing the projectile path

Video in the source:
http://www.news.com....c-1226259214800

[DocM]

I was getting ready to, but no matter.

This tech has a ways to go to be a affordable etc. but yes t shows how fast things are moving.

Remember the similar heat tracking gun in the Tom Selleck flick Runaway? It also foresaw insect-bots and miniature hovering surveillance drones - both entering the market.

[Blaze_Zewi]

Did they just take a cruise missile and shrink it?

[DocM]

More like a laser guided glide bomb but no explosive charge - yet.

[Hum]

So you could throw off the bullet, with another laser beam.

[DocM]

Hum, on 01 February 2012 - 16:21, said:

So you could throw off the bullet, with another laser beam.

No. You can randomly encode the beam & bullet with a key so they can't be spoofed fast enough to matter.