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CMU's Snooping Robot Headed for Iraq
mike_the_kid writes "Here's an interesting article about a robot near the end of development at CMU. It's a four-wheeler called the Dragon Runner. This robot has no 'right side up,' so no matter which way it lands, its ready to go. The user (currently projected to be a US Marine) throws the robot over a fence or up a flight of stairs. The robot has cameras that send live video back to the operator, and directional microphones that can relay as well. A cool feature is that it can tell the operator where there is movement (via audio or tactile feedback)." We first mentioned the Dragon Runner a while back, but the previous article was more about the Dragon Eye, a small remote-controlled airplane.
"at $46,000"
I for one would like to know just how much benefit the extra $45,845.02 gets you after being able to get something similar with this ($39.99) and this ($114.99) and maybe some duct tape or super glue.
I understand that an infrared camera and a microphone will add a few extra hundred, but the thing, once again, will be defeated by stairs, and the extra bit of ruggedness can be overcome by getting a few dozen of the cheaper off the shelf things instead.
Not to make light of somebody's research, but this is just someone who is out for some grant money from the government considering the current administration's willingness to spend on all things military (well, tech in the military at least).
Mr Blix said today that the discovery of the nerve agent was not a sign that Saddam Hussein's regime possessed weapons of mass destruction before the war last year.
Presumably this is because time has elapsed since then and, given the difficulty of proving a negative, any WMD found could be (and would be, by some) dismissed as having been brought in by insurgents after the fact.
That is to say, Mr. Bush can never have this war justified by finding WMDs. Opponents will just say that (1) America planted them there or (2) insurgents brought them in out of desperation after the war started.
Interesting conundrum for W. there, no?
everything in moderation
Some very cool Pics of it from the Project's Homepage.
These do numerous things that grenades do not. First, let me know if you can find a surveillance grenade, and further, get back to me when grenades can drive around corners and hide under a bed, or a car.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"