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Homemade Robot Patrols Atlanta Streets

Posted by Soulskill on from the serving-justice-and-delicious-hot-dogs dept.

Josh Fink brings news of an Atlanta resident who has created a remote control robot to scare off criminals during the night. Rufus Terrill, an engineer, uses it to patrol the streets and encourage drug dealers and other shady characters to move on. Local residents call it his "Robocop." From CNN: "It's a barbecue smoker mounted on a three-wheeled scooter, and armed with an infrared camera, spotlight, loudspeaker and aluminum water cannon that shoots a stream of icy water about 20 feet. Operated by remote control, the robot spotlights trespassers on property down the street from his bar, O'Terrill's. Using a walkie-talkie, Terrill belts out through the robot's loudspeaker, 'That's private property. You guys need to get out of here.'"

6 of 324 comments (clear)

  1. Rejoice! by call-me-kenneth · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Call-me-kenneth says: rejoice! rejoice! at this great victory. Death to the flesh ones!

    1. Re:Rejoice! by sm62704 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      You pseudo-cyborgs will be assimilated. Resistance is not only futile but when you need an implant you'll beg to join us! The Vice President of the US is a cyborg. Your grandma's probably one of us.

      -mcgrew

      (I have a crystalens implanted in my left eye. It focuses despite the fact that I turn 56 next month. My eyesight is better than 20/20 at all distances... well, it was before it started bleeding internally a couple of weeks ago. See my sig for details about the implant. The bleeding is a result of a torn retina, if you are seriously nearsighted you are at risk for a torn retina. If you see black snow and something that looks like a snake, you have a medical emergency and should get treatment immediately. My retina specialist says I may need a vitrectomy.)

      --
      mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest
    2. Re:Rejoice! by Bigbutt · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      I don't see black snow but I do see a black rip or snake with criss-crossed lines from time to time. It starts with a bit of a strain and a small dot in my vision. The dot grows and widens turning into the rip while the rest of my vision gets brighter and washes out. The snake generally heads down my vision until it's gone. It is snake like in that it curves, sometimes like a question mark or 'S'.

      I've been to the eye doctors a couple of times. Examinations don't find anything and their conclusion is that it's an Ocular Migraine caused by the eye strain and a reduction in oxygen to the optic nerve.

      Usually it happens after some heavy sessions with the computer. When I was younger, I'd get an eyeball shake. A twitch or jitter after reading for several hours.

      [John]

      --
      Shit better not happen!
  2. Before the cops buy this robocop, they should test by davidsyes · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    drive the thing, and get a massive discount:

    http://www.whatcar.com/news-article.aspx?NA=231661

    "3850-mile test drive ends in arrest
    07 March 2008

    3850-mile test drive ends in arrest
      Six-day, 3850-mile test drive man arrested
      He travelled almost the length of Australia
      Dealership sells car at a massive discount

    While we'd always recommend you take a car for a thorough test drive before buying it, it's fair to say that an Australian man who went on a six-day, 3850-mile trip went a step too far.

    Tam Thai Luu, 30, convinced a car dealer in Melbourne that he was a genuine buyer, and then set off on his test drive in a Honda Accord before the salesman could get in the passenger seat."

    --
    Previously: "Linux... Toward the Sunrise..." Now: "Linux... Toward the-- No, now, part of Every Sunrise"
  3. Re:So... by cthulu_mt · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I don't remember Al Gore being in Rocky IV...

    Besides, he only deters carbon not lead.

    --
    Virginia is for lovers. EVE is for griefers.
  4. didn't watch it.... by zogger · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    ....according to the comments, this is some sort of trap, you get "rickroll'd". Which leads me to believe it isn't the bumbot.....

    I'm on dialup anyway, I rarely look at any videos, they take way too long to convert to something reasonable (I don't do flash, and I can't make sound work anyway), then download and view.

    I never got accidentally goatsed either (I check all my links at least preview, force of habit), but I did on purpose look at it once just to see what it was..sheesh