I, for one, hail(feed?) our new robot overlords. :unsure:
QuoteUpcoming Military Robot Could Feed on Dead Bodies
Tuesday , July 14, 2009
FC1
ADVERTISEMENT
It could be a combination of 19th-century mechanics, 21st-century technology — and a 20th-century horror movie.
A Maryland company under contract to the Pentagon is working on a steam-powered robot that would fuel itself by gobbling up whatever organic material it can find — grass, wood, old furniture, even dead bodies.
Robotic Technology Inc.'s Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot — that's right, "EATR" — "can find, ingest, and extract energy from biomass in the environment (and other organically-based energy sources), as well as use conventional and alternative fuels (such as gasoline, heavy fuel, kerosene, diesel, propane, coal, cooking oil, and solar) when suitable," reads the company's Web site.
That "biomass" and "other organically-based energy sources" wouldn't necessarily be limited to plant material — animal and human corpses contain plenty of energy, and they'd be plentiful in a war zone.
EATR will be powered by the Waste Heat Engine developed by Cyclone Power Technology of Pompano Beach, Fla., which uses an "external combustion chamber" burning up fuel to heat up water in a closed loop, generating electricity.
The advantages to the military are that the robot would be extremely flexible in fuel sources and could roam on its own for months, even years, without having to be refueled or serviced.
Upon the EATR platform, the Pentagon could build all sorts of things — a transport, an ambulance, a communications center, even a mobile gunship.
In press materials, Robotic Technology presents EATR as an essentially benign artificial creature that fills its belly through "foraging," despite the obvious military purpose.
What could possibly go wrong?
Maybe the Pentagon should visit some waste fuel power plants.
And maybe Obama should cut some of the zillions, spend on defense.
It would be perfect if we could make a human (embryonic?) brain its CPU. :)
Does flesh from an American emit a different signal than a non-American?
It makes me sick that they are building robots aimed specifically at eating corpses.
I'm sure this was posted before and the first reply there was also 'What could possibly go wrong?'.
...
Or are is my future-sight playing tricks on me again.
Quote from: The Brain on July 15, 2009, 05:14:03 AM
It makes me sick that they are building robots aimed specifically at eating corpses.
Afraid of a little competition?
This thread is making me hungry.
Quote from: Monoriu on July 15, 2009, 04:12:39 AM
Does flesh from an American emit a different signal than a non-American?
They'll be tuned to attack anyone who's not overweight.
Quote from: Iormlund on July 15, 2009, 07:02:57 AM
Quote from: Monoriu on July 15, 2009, 04:12:39 AM
Does flesh from an American emit a different signal than a non-American?
They'll be tuned to attack anyone who's not overweight.
I guess all those fat Euros I saw are safe now too. :mad:
Quote from: Ed Anger on July 15, 2009, 07:52:13 AM
Quote from: Iormlund on July 15, 2009, 07:02:57 AM
Quote from: Monoriu on July 15, 2009, 04:12:39 AM
Does flesh from an American emit a different signal than a non-American?
They'll be tuned to attack anyone who's not overweight.
I guess all those fat Euros I saw are safe now too. :mad:
:yeah:
I heard about something like this that was supposed to roam around farmers' fields, killing and feeding off slugs.
Quotesteam-powered robot
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbodhranman.files.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F03%2Fsteampunk.jpg&hash=32de9024e2f671b459de03879f1d3e5aaf593797)
It's like some horrible geek wet dream come true.
I approve of this new line of thinking.
First DARPA's HARP project invites an extra dimensional alien invasion (thank you Art Bell for breaking that news) and now this. Clearly events are accelerating.
Quote from: Darth Wagtaros on July 15, 2009, 08:44:20 AM
First DARPA's HARP project invites an extra dimensional alien invasion (thank you Art Bell for breaking that news) and now this. Clearly events are accelerating.
How the hell do you know about DARPA?
And then fucking Neil accusses me of giving too much shit away posting here.
Quote from: Siege on July 16, 2009, 12:20:37 AM
Quote from: Darth Wagtaros on July 15, 2009, 08:44:20 AM
First DARPA's HARP project invites an extra dimensional alien invasion (thank you Art Bell for breaking that news) and now this. Clearly events are accelerating.
How the hell do you know about DARPA?
And then fucking Neil accusses me of giving too much shit away posting here.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.plano.lib.il.us%2FhistoryPosters%2FBecause-Someone-Talked-LG.jpg&hash=4254820334f3be893a436f6e75f27131eba30c35)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DARPA
Quote from: Siege on July 16, 2009, 12:20:37 AMHow the hell do you know about DARPA?
It's not exactly a secret institution. And there inventions aren't either. After all, we are just using their greatest invention - the internet.
This struck me a really funny. "I bet he knows about the Coast Guard too! Someone talked".
Now if only they could make an M1 tank feed like that, never need refueling! And other vehicles. Next airplanes.... think of all the savings in fuel costs!
I wonder how long for this technology to hit the consumer market. ;)
Quote from: Siege on July 16, 2009, 12:20:37 AM
How the hell do you know about DARPA?
Everyone knows about DARPA. Free society and all that.
QuoteAnd then fucking Neil accusses me of giving too much shit away posting here.
No, I accuse you of spying for the Chinese.
Instead of going to Basic Training, all future Army recruits will be fed into meat-grinders to support our new armies of flesh-eating robot warrior-dinosaurs. Also the Air Force will be entirely automated and the Navy will bombard whole continents with heavy space battleships launched from the Moon.
I have seen the future, and it is mine.
Quote from: FunkMonk on July 16, 2009, 05:19:01 PM
Instead of going to Basic Training, all future Army recruits will be fed into meat-grinders to support our new armies of flesh-eating robot warrior-dinosaurs. Also the Air Force will be entirely automated and the Navy will bombard whole continents with heavy space battleships launched from the Moon.
I have seen the future, and it is mine.
Interesting fact: the Air Force will be reincorporated into the senior services. An independent air force makes no sense at all.
Quote from: Neil on July 16, 2009, 05:36:54 PM
Quote from: FunkMonk on July 16, 2009, 05:19:01 PM
Instead of going to Basic Training, all future Army recruits will be fed into meat-grinders to support our new armies of flesh-eating robot warrior-dinosaurs. Also the Air Force will be entirely automated and the Navy will bombard whole continents with heavy space battleships launched from the Moon.
I have seen the future, and it is mine.
Interesting fact: the Air Force will be reincorporated into the senior services. An independent air force makes no sense at all.
But then you'll never get this
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fotal.umd.edu%2F%7Emgk%2Fblog%2Fyamato.jpg&hash=2d8be4ad3f86cedf4dd9a93637150554307c9034)
Quote from: Neil on July 16, 2009, 05:36:54 PM
Quote from: FunkMonk on July 16, 2009, 05:19:01 PM
Instead of going to Basic Training, all future Army recruits will be fed into meat-grinders to support our new armies of flesh-eating robot warrior-dinosaurs. Also the Air Force will be entirely automated and the Navy will bombard whole continents with heavy space battleships launched from the Moon.
I have seen the future, and it is mine.
Interesting fact: the Air Force will be reincorporated into the senior services. An independent air force makes no sense at all.
I've thought about this, and agree except for the fact that someone still needs to maintain the large stockpiles of nuclear weapons needed for the Space Navy and Robo-Army to vanquish Western Civilization's enemies. The Air Force will be renamed 'Rocket Bombardardment Group' or some such.
Quote from: FunkMonk on July 16, 2009, 05:56:50 PM
I've thought about this, and agree except for the fact that someone still needs to maintain the large stockpiles of nuclear weapons needed for the Space Navy and Robo-Army to vanquish Western Civilization's enemies. The Air Force will be renamed 'Rocket Bombardardment Group' or some such.
But why have a massive and seperate bureaucracy to do this? The Army already maintains many kinds of ordnance, so why not atomic weapons? A space navy would obviously require enormous stocks of atomics to be used in space. I can't see any justification for maintaining a seperate force just to care for earth-based atomic weapons.
The Air force could be run by 5 chimps and a hippo.
Quote from: Neil on July 16, 2009, 07:30:29 PM
Quote from: FunkMonk on July 16, 2009, 05:56:50 PM
I've thought about this, and agree except for the fact that someone still needs to maintain the large stockpiles of nuclear weapons needed for the Space Navy and Robo-Army to vanquish Western Civilization's enemies. The Air Force will be renamed 'Rocket Bombardardment Group' or some such.
But why have a massive and seperate bureaucracy to do this? The Army already maintains many kinds of ordnance, so why not atomic weapons? A space navy would obviously require enormous stocks of atomics to be used in space. I can't see any justification for maintaining a seperate force just to care for earth-based atomic weapons.
A future Air Force/Rocket Bombardment Group would be entirely automated except for a select few men to ensure the machines do not turn on humanity. I don't see a massive bureaucracy developing around such a force in a system where a rivalry between the Space Navy and Robo-Army would likely overshadow anything else. The Space Navy would be the premier service anyway, in much the same way the US Navy currently is. Besides, having a nation's entire land-based atomic arsenal in the hands of flesh-eating robots or a space battleship with enough firepower to incinerate entire continents on its own is just plain silly. The Triad must be complete.
Quote from: Ed Anger on July 16, 2009, 07:33:25 PM
The Air force could be run by 5 chimps and a hippo.
I feel I must defend my inter-service brethren because I work with them every day.
...
...
...
Nevermind.
I'd say that right now, the USA is probably more the premier service.
If not, those new BDUs will drop the Navy down a step.
Quote from: Viking on July 16, 2009, 05:49:22 PM
Quote from: Neil on July 16, 2009, 05:36:54 PM
Quote from: FunkMonk on July 16, 2009, 05:19:01 PM
Instead of going to Basic Training, all future Army recruits will be fed into meat-grinders to support our new armies of flesh-eating robot warrior-dinosaurs. Also the Air Force will be entirely automated and the Navy will bombard whole continents with heavy space battleships launched from the Moon.
I have seen the future, and it is mine.
Interesting fact: the Air Force will be reincorporated into the senior services. An independent air force makes no sense at all.
But then you'll never get this
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fotal.umd.edu%2F%7Emgk%2Fblog%2Fyamato.jpg&hash=2d8be4ad3f86cedf4dd9a93637150554307c9034)
That's navy stuff :mad:
I think you guys are wrong.
The future military will be task specific, so I see two main organizations:
1- System Defense Forces:
Each star system will have its local defense force, compoussed of
- Planetary Defense Weapon Platforms (Surface to space weapons)
- Planetary Defense Air Force (short range orbital interceptor fighters)
- Planetary Ground Defense (Ground forces to repel enemy landing forces)
- System defense navy (small space naval forces that include gunboats, satellites, minefields, etc. Space to space weapons)
2 - Federal Defense Forces
The Human Federation's strike force, compoussed of:
- Space Navy (Spacecraft with the capability to travel to, and to strike the enemy, in their controlled space)
- Space Marines (Ground forces to invade enemy planets)
- Space air force (fighter craft to achieve orbital and air superiority on enemy planets. CAS capability as well)
Quote from: FunkMonk on July 16, 2009, 10:18:24 PM
Quote from: Neil on July 16, 2009, 07:30:29 PM
Quote from: FunkMonk on July 16, 2009, 05:56:50 PM
I've thought about this, and agree except for the fact that someone still needs to maintain the large stockpiles of nuclear weapons needed for the Space Navy and Robo-Army to vanquish Western Civilization's enemies. The Air Force will be renamed 'Rocket Bombardardment Group' or some such.
But why have a massive and seperate bureaucracy to do this? The Army already maintains many kinds of ordnance, so why not atomic weapons? A space navy would obviously require enormous stocks of atomics to be used in space. I can't see any justification for maintaining a seperate force just to care for earth-based atomic weapons.
A future Air Force/Rocket Bombardment Group would be entirely automated except for a select few men to ensure the machines do not turn on humanity. I don't see a massive bureaucracy developing around such a force in a system where a rivalry between the Space Navy and Robo-Army would likely overshadow anything else. The Space Navy would be the premier service anyway, in much the same way the US Navy currently is. Besides, having a nation's entire land-based atomic arsenal in the hands of flesh-eating robots or a space battleship with enough firepower to incinerate entire continents on its own is just plain silly. The Triad must be complete.
Well, it depends. Obviously, land-based strategic nuclear weapons would disappear, since a functioning space navy makes them not only obsolete, but wasteful. Tactical nuclear weapons, on the other hand, are by definition used in support of surface army forces, and thus should be directly under their control. Is there some middle ground where an Air Force could serve a purpose?
The triad was a product of interservice rivalry, and has no virtue in and of itself. Besides, the Air Force was founded in order to create a bureaucracy. If they automated it, they'd be betraying the entire purpose of the Air Force.
Quote from: Siege on July 16, 2009, 11:52:46 PM
I think you guys are wrong.
The future military will be task specific, so I see two main organizations:
1- System Defense Forces:
Each star system will have its local defense force, compoussed of
- Planetary Defense Weapon Platforms (Surface to space weapons)
- Planetary Defense Air Force (short range orbital interceptor fighters)
- Planetary Ground Defense (Ground forces to repel enemy landing forces)
- System defense navy (small space naval forces that include gunboats, satellites, minefields, etc. Space to space weapons)
2 - Federal Defense Forces
The Human Federation's strike force, compoussed of:
- Space Navy (Spacecraft with the capability to travel to, and to strike the enemy, in their controlled space)
- Space Marines (Ground forces to invade enemy planets)
- Space air force (fighter craft to achieve orbital and air superiority on enemy planets. CAS capability as well)
Given that there's only one planet worth invading, and that there's only one system to defend, I think it makes more sense to merge these two organizations.
Besides, space fighters are useless anyways.
Quote from: Tonitrus on July 16, 2009, 11:17:44 PM
I'd say that right now, the USA is probably more the premier service.
If not, those new BDUs will drop the Navy down a step.
You may be right, though this is only a recent development. I'd say that American security still rests mostly on the Navy's control of the seas and its ability to keep the sea lanes open for commerce.
I agree with you about the new Navy uniform. Terrible and disgraceful.
Quote from: Neil on July 17, 2009, 07:01:48 AM
Well, it depends. Obviously, land-based strategic nuclear weapons would disappear, since a functioning space navy makes them not only obsolete, but wasteful. Tactical nuclear weapons, on the other hand, are by definition used in support of surface army forces, and thus should be directly under their control. Is there some middle ground where an Air Force could serve a purpose?
The triad was a product of interservice rivalry, and has no virtue in and of itself. Besides, the Air Force was founded in order to create a bureaucracy. If they automated it, they'd be betraying the entire purpose of the Air Force.
Honestly, I don't see land-based nuclear weapons disappearing as a strategic option. A Space Navy, as powerful an armada it may be, would be more vulnerable to attack than ground silos, and it would still be an advantage to be able to nuke your enemy across multiple approaches. Personally, I'd leave it as an option. The main hiccup I see, looking at it now, would be strategic defense systems that could knock the missiles from the sky, but that might pose problems to a space battleship as well.
I would say a robot army's use of tactical nukes would be limited. Presumably nuclear weapon use would still be frowned upon, so it would be easier to just send endless divisions of robots to conquer territory. No real loss to us.
The Navy's main role would be space dominance and troop insertion. And prestige. And fear.
I can still see a role for a future Air Force, stripped of its air and transportation assets but given greater control over strategic weapons. It would have very little resemblance to anything today, but still be an important option in a nation's defense policy.
Quote from: FunkMonk on July 17, 2009, 08:24:55 AM
Quote from: Neil on July 17, 2009, 07:01:48 AM
Well, it depends. Obviously, land-based strategic nuclear weapons would disappear, since a functioning space navy makes them not only obsolete, but wasteful. Tactical nuclear weapons, on the other hand, are by definition used in support of surface army forces, and thus should be directly under their control. Is there some middle ground where an Air Force could serve a purpose?
The triad was a product of interservice rivalry, and has no virtue in and of itself. Besides, the Air Force was founded in order to create a bureaucracy. If they automated it, they'd be betraying the entire purpose of the Air Force.
Honestly, I don't see land-based nuclear weapons disappearing as a strategic option. A Space Navy, as powerful an armada it may be, would be more vulnerable to attack than ground silos, and it would still be an advantage to be able to nuke your enemy across multiple approaches. Personally, I'd leave it as an option. The main hiccup I see, looking at it now, would be strategic defense systems that could knock the missiles from the sky, but that might pose problems to a space battleship as well.
I have my doubts as to the possible effectiveness of SDI against space-based missiles, launched from anywhere. Has anyone managed to hit a target at any time other than on the upward leg?
Really, I don't think that space-based missiles are any more vulnerable than ground-based ones. They'd still be vulnerable to a first strike, but at least such a first strike would wipe out and irradiate large areas of the US.
QuoteI would say a robot army's use of tactical nukes would be limited. Presumably nuclear weapon use would still be frowned upon, so it would be easier to just send endless divisions of robots to conquer territory. No real loss to us.
Robots still cost money. You really wouldn't want to be overly wasteful.
QuoteThe Navy's main role would be space dominance and troop insertion. And prestige. And fear.
I can still see a role for a future Air Force, stripped of its air and transportation assets but given greater control over strategic weapons. It would have very little resemblance to anything today, but still be an important option in a nation's defense policy.
I just don't think that narrow field justifies the existance of the Air Force. Over time, if the situation on Earth improves, the Army will be phased out as well, but the only thing that the Air Force does that no other service could easily duplicate (and has currently or in the past) is maintain Air Force traditions. Given that I feel that an independent air force is an abomination of the first order, that's not a convincing argument for me.