Army Eyes Anti-Sniper Robot

Hiawatha writes "iRobot has teamed up with Boston University to create a robot that can spot enemy snipers on a battlefield. Before the smoke of the shot clears away, the REDOWL robot should have the shooter in its sights." iRobot is the same company that brought you the popular Roomba robotic vacuum.

Comments

Two loopholes

[powerpuffgirls]

Testers struck pieces of metal to simulate gunshots. REDOWL quickly aimed its infrared camera and laser rangefinder at the source of the noise, just as it did in tests at a Medfield gun range.

If this is the case, this RedOwl can easily be fooled where there are multiple gunshots, especially in a battle field.

While system could fire back at an enemy, it would be dangerous to have a weapon-toting robot that could open fire on its own. You need to have a man in the loop.

By the time a man reacts, the sniper could have fled, or worse, fired another shot at him.

Re:Two loopholes

[geekoid]

If this is the case, this RedOwl can easily be fooled where there are multiple gunshots, especially in a battle field.

it is designed for sniper fire, not battle field fire.

"By the time a man reacts, the sniper could have fled, or worse, fired another shot at him."
what do you perpose? that the robot fire back? too much room for error, however once the sniper has been targetted you can:
Have the robot search in IR.
Once the person has been spotted, the IR can keep tracking.

If the sniper fires a second shot from the same location either he is a sniper bent on dying, or has enough support he isn't concerned with return fire.

Re:Two loopholes

[Bonhamme Richard]

In regards to the robot being to slow returning fire:

Most sniper doctrine dictates that you a) don't fire frequently, b) don't move suddenly.

Both of those actions give a sniper away, and a spotted sniper is a dead sniper (they don't have particularly heavy armor, or the ability to rapid fire, at least not to the extent that a normal soilder does.)

It makes a lot of sense for what we're doing in Iraq, really. If you're walking down a street in Bagdad and take fire, the first thing you do is take cover. Then you try to find out where the baddie is so you can off him. If your killer romba has found him, it just saves you the time of looking.

As to being fooled, it probably wouldn't be to hard to have it track multiple targets. Navy ships have radars that can track 300+ at once. Well enough to put AA missiles on any of them at a word.

Re:Two loopholes

[capt.Hij]

I read that too and thought it was odd that none of the weapons mentioned, ak-47, m-16, pistols, are weapons that snipers use. An M-16 has an effective range of 300-400 meters or so. Snipers are capable of sitting 1000 meters out and hitting their target. The sound of a weapon discharge at that distance is very faint.

Also, this is picking nits... but... Snipers use smokeless powder. They work very hard at not being seen.

Re:Two loopholes

[pudding7]

I think you're taking the term "sniper" too seriously. It's not always some dude in a ghili (sp?) suit creeping through the jungle. A dude with a scope and a hunting rifle sitting in a van while his buddy videotapes the shooting is a sniper too.

Though, I'm sure you're aware of this.

Han *must* shoot first

[MBraynard]

Find me a sniper detecting robot that can find them BEFORE the first shot...

Besides, any *smart* sniper moves from his position after each shot and rarely double taps.

Loopholes?

[Chuck Chunder]

I hate it when people point out the blindingly obvious limitations of something as if they are some devastating flaws that render it useless.

The sniper might run away? Wow such insight!

In reality encouraging snipers to run away is still going to be a win on the battlefield. Presumably most snipers hole up in a reasonably secure, hidden vantage point and remain there. If a technology makes that unfeasible then you've gone a long way to decreasing their effectiveness as their initial tactical advantage is neutralised on their first shot. A sniper who's legging it isn't shooting at you and if you have a camera automatically pointing in his direction then tracking him is a possibility.