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Robotic Cannon Loses Control, Kills 9

TJ_Phazerhacki writes "A new high tech weapon system demonstrated one of the prime concerns circling smarter and smarter methods of defense last week — an Oerlikon GDF-005 cannon went wildly out of control during live fire test exercises in South Africa, killing 9. Scarily enough, this is far from the first instance of a smart weapon 'turning' on its handlers. 'Electronics engineer and defence company CEO Richard Young says he can't believe the incident was purely a mechanical fault. He says his company, C2I2, in the mid 1990s, was involved in two air defence artillery upgrade programmes, dubbed Projects Catchy and Dart. During the shooting trials at Armscor's Alkantpan shooting range, "I personally saw a gun go out of control several times," Young says. "They made a temporary rig consisting of two steel poles on each side of the weapon, with a rope in between to keep the weapon from swinging. The weapon eventually knocked the pol[e]s down."' The biggest concern seems to be finding the glitches in the system instead of reconsidering automated arms altogether."

20 of 580 comments (clear)

  1. ED-209 not available for comment by User+956 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Robotic Cannon Loses Control, Kills 9

    To be fair, it did give them 30 seconds to comply.

    --
    The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
    1. Re:ED-209 not available for comment by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 4, Funny

      I submitted the same story.

      Unfortunately, the editors may not have approved of my comments linking Bill Joy's "Cassandra" predictions of killer robots, with the pledge to remove the Roomba from my home - and idle speculation about the possible involvement of Windows XP in this incident...

      --
      "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
      Never been known to fail..."
    2. Re:ED-209 not available for comment by suprcvic · · Score: 5, Funny

      The fact that anybody is joking about 9 people losing their lives sickens mean. Have you all truly lost touch with reality to the point that the loss of human life is completely lost on you? Seriously?

    3. Re:ED-209 not available for comment by lastchance_000 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die. - Mel Brooks

    4. Re:ED-209 not available for comment by ozmanjusri · · Score: 4, Funny
      people rarely, if ever, joke about something anything that affects and hurts them.

      Come to Australia then.

      I've been a volunteer ambulance officer for decades, and I've seen people keep their sense of humour in the most horrific circumstances.

      Went to a car rollover once. The driver had been seriously injured and trapped inside the inverted vehicle. He'd been there for almost an hour before anyone had found him (this was remote WA), and it took another half an hour to cut him out. We put him in the stretcher while the ambulance was reversing to us. As we moved towards the ambulance, he looked at the back wheel of his trashed car and said "Anyone got a shifter? I wouldn't mind adjusting the brakes now I can get to 'em easy."

      --
      "I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."
    5. Re:ED-209 not available for comment by Lord+Ender · · Score: 4, Funny

      XP? The reason your story wasn't approved is because you forgot to lay the blame on Windows Vista. Try harder next time.

      --
      A slashdotter who didn't build his own computer is like a Jedi who didn't build his own lightsaber.
    6. Re:ED-209 not available for comment by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      It's unimaginable to me that we don't just imprison people who make or purchase firearms. Who wants to be shot? What else is a gun good for?

      I use my giant robot cannon for hunting, you insensitive clod.

  2. ED-209 by gEvil+(beta) · · Score: 4, Funny

    Scarily enough, this is far from the first instance of a smart weapon 'turning' on its handlers.

    I seem to recall seeing a documentary about this about 20 years ago. Ahh, here it is.

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    This guy's the limit!
  3. Finally by High+Hat · · Score: 5, Funny
    # kill -9

    ...for the real world!

  4. BSOD. literally by User+956 · · Score: 4, Funny

    During the shooting trials at Armscor's Alkantpan shooting range, "I personally saw a gun go out of control several times," Young says.

    This gives new meaning to the phrase "Blue screen of death".

    --
    The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
  5. That's why.. by Sloppy · · Score: 4, Funny

    ..killbots have preset limits.

    --
    As copyright owner of this comment, I authorize everyone to defeat any technological measure which limits access to it.
    1. Re:That's why.. by glaeven · · Score: 4, Funny

      "...Thus, knowing their weakness, I sent waves of my own men after them until they reached that limit and self-destructed."

      "A sad day for robot history. But hey! We can always build more killbots!"

  6. Re:Three Laws of Robotics by geekoid · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yes... did anyone even read the books before posting that? seriously, there are issues with those laws.

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  7. Re:No pun intended by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    The kill switch was working fine. It's the off switch that was the problem.

  8. I told you before... by jtroutman · · Score: 5, Funny

    Guns don't kill people. Robotic, automated, 35mm anti-aircraft, twin-barreled guns kill people.

    --
    I stole this sig from a more creative user.
  9. I, for one. . . by noewun · · Score: 4, Funny

    run like hell from our drum-fed, fully automatic robot overlords.

    --
    I am a believer of momentum and curves.
  10. BUSINESS PROPOSAL by mrscorpio · · Score: 4, Funny

    Dear,

    It is my humble pleasure to write this letter irrespective of the fact that you do not know me. However, I came to know of you in my private search for a reliable and trustworthy person that can handle a confidential transaction of this nature in respect to our investment plans in real estate. Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that all will be well at the end of the day. Let me start by first, introducing myself properly to you. I am Peter Okoye, a Branch Manager at one of the standard trust bank in South Africa. A foreigner, Late Nicholas Owen, a Civil engineer/Contractor with the federal Government of South Africa, until his death three years ago in a ghastly automated robot accident, banked with us here at the standard bank South Africa. He had a closing balance of USD$25.5M (Twenty five Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) which the bank now unquestionably expects to be claimed by any of his available foreign next of kin. Or,alternatively be donated to a discredited trust fund for arms and ammunition at a military war college here in South Africa. Fervent valuable efforts made by the standard trust bank to get in touch with any of late Nicholas Owen_s next of kin (he had no wife and children)has been unsuccessful. The management under the influence of our chairman and board of directors, are making arrangement for the fund to be declared UNCLAIMABLE and then be subsequently donated to the trust fund for Arms and Ammunition which will further enhance the course of war in Africa and the world in general. In order to avert this negative development. Myself and some of my trusted colleagues in the bank, now seek for your permission to have you stand as late Nicholas Owen_s next of kin. So that the fund (USD$25.5M), would be subsequently transferred and paid into your bank account as the beneficiary next of kin through our overseas corresponding bank. All documents and proves to enable you get this fund have been carefully worked out and we are assuring you a 100% risk free involvement.

    Your share would be 30% of the total amount. While the rest would be for me and my colleagues for purchase of properties in your country through you/your Company. If this proposal is OK by you, then kindly get to me immediately via my e-mail (pokoye_mg@mail.com) furnishing me with your most confidential telephone and fax , so I can forward to you the relevant details of this tran! saction. Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation.

    Best Regards.

    Peter Okoye

    Branch Manager,

    STANDARD TRUST BANK SOUTH AFRICA

  11. Re:Two words: Deadman switch by Ruvim · · Score: 4, Funny

    There were provisions for that... But it was smart enough to take out the people at the button first.

  12. En-gag-ing.... by jlawson382 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Are you still there?

  13. Re:I, For One, Welcome Our... by courseofhumanevents · · Score: 5, Funny

    I know, totally. Makes no sense. And why does everyone always use Arial? I can't stand it. One of the aspects of having the ability to choose fonts is using DIFFERENT fonts than others. Why can't the authors just pick a different font? Is it really that difficult? I, for one, am sick and tired of always seeing the same font everywhere. And all those gray keyboards. Seriously, what's with that? Gray isn't the greatest color; it's not that hard to pick something better. A little design philosophy and your keyboard suddenly looks three times as good. What's the problem, here, people? And don't even get me started on Apple Jacks. Why the hell do they call them Apple Jacks if they don't taste like apples? Go ahead, mod me down. You know I'm right about everything.