Posted on 09/20/2011 5:36:05 AM PDT by markomalley
One afternoon last fall at Fort Benning, Ga., two model-size planes took off, climbed to 800 and 1,000 feet, and began criss-crossing the military base in search of an orange, green and blue tarp.
The automated, unpiloted planes worked on their own, with no human guidance, no hand on any control.
After 20 minutes, one of the aircraft, carrying a computer that processed images from an onboard camera, zeroed in on the tarp and contacted the second plane, which flew nearby and used its own sensors to examine the colorful object. Then one of the aircraft signaled to an unmanned car on the ground so it could take a final, close-up look.
Target confirmed.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
I love the practical nature of FReepers.
I love the practical nature of FReepers.
“The less we put our own good men into hellish situations like that, the better.”
I’m all for that...
Does anyone recall the sci-fi story of the advanced civilization where wars are fought by computers that determine the outcome of a battle?
Then the computers dictates how many casualties were sustained by each army and each side must exterminate that number of people.
I can’t recall if it is a book or perhaps a Star Trek episode.
Star Trek.
Wow. I’d have loved to meet him. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire Foundation series, even after it got repetitive. The whole series in still in my bookshelf. I think I’m going to re-read some of it, just because it’s there.
What a prolific writer, and versatile thinker. Pity he was somewhat left of centre, but that is beside the point.
Oh, I remember now that it was R. Daneel Olivaw, not R. Giskard, that came up with the zeroth law, FWIW.
Thanks for the memory twig.
It was a Star Trek episode.
Regards,
GtG
Stupid special effects folks! Gatlings only fire when the barrels index into one, single, fixed position. In the other positions they are ejecting, loading, and cooling... Totally bogus!
Yeah, I loved how that episode was resolved when Captain Kirk threatened to completely destroy the aggressor planet if they did not stop the exterminations. Prime Directive my butt! :)
Thanks.
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