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Robots Guarding US Nuclear Stockpiles In Nevada

kkleiner writes "The US National Nuclear Security Administration recently announced that it has started using autonomous robot vehicles to patrol the vast desert surrounding its Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). The 1360+ square miles of territory is home to millions of tons of low grade nuclear waste, as well as Cold War Era nuclear weapons, and cutting edge nuclear testing research. Guarding those precious nuclear materials is the Mobile Detection Assessment Response System (MDARS) robot, which is essentially a camera on a mini-Hummer. The MDARS can roam and scout the desert on its own, alerting a remote operator when it encounters something that shouldn't be there."

12 of 128 comments (clear)

  1. What could possibly go wrong? by jamesdood · · Score: 3, Funny

    I mean they are robots, guarding nuclear weapons....

    --
    *narf!*
    1. Re:What could possibly go wrong? by WrongSizeGlass · · Score: 2, Funny

      I mean they are robots, guarding nuclear weapons....

      Robots who are angry that 'MDARS' is the best acronym that the brain trust could come up with.

    2. Re:What could possibly go wrong? by batquux · · Score: 4, Funny

      How about... Mobile Unmanned Robotic Detection Assessment Response System (MURDARS)?

    3. Re:What could possibly go wrong? by mcgrew · · Score: 3, Funny

      Don't anthromorphise robots. Robots HATE being anthromorphised.

  2. Things that shouldn't be there by Tanks*Guns · · Score: 5, Funny

    "...alerting a remote operator when it encounters something that shouldn't be there."

    People
    Large Animals
    Vehicles
    John Connor
    Other Robots

  3. In Soviet Russia... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Nukes guard robots!

  4. Re:What happens north of New Vegas... by Un+pobre+guey · · Score: 3, Funny

    Not if it had water bottles strapped to its side. If it had a loudspeaker that blared out "We mean you no harm! We are here to help! Please come out and show yourself!" or something to that effect, it would probably make it even scarier.

  5. Re:Automated robots by NevarMore · · Score: 4, Funny

    The Kärcher Robot Cleaner has a loading station that sucks the dirt out of the robot, but it's more than double the price.

    Umlauts are an expensive upgrade. I bet the Röömbä would be like eight times as expensive.

  6. Re:Must have missed them by Wraithlyn · · Score: 3, Funny

    Of course you didn't seem them... they're ninja robots.

    --
    "Mind, as manifested by the capacity to make choices, is to some extent present in every electron." -Freeman Dyson
  7. Re:Next steps by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    for illegal immigrants they plan to just demonstrate MiARS's bare capabilities in hopes that the alien will be scared back across the border.

    Possible (if improbable) outcomes:

    1. MiARS up on blocks, stripped of wheels and valuable metals.

    2. MiARS repurposed, with a new paint job and much lower suspension.

    3. MiARS obsoleted: Opponent is willing to do the dull, dirty, dangerous task for much less than the cost of maintaining MiARS.

  8. Re:Automated robots by corbettw · · Score: 4, Funny

    Tedious, dangerous, time-consuming tasks should be done by robots.

    My wife says the same thing. But I keep telling her, steel and ceramic vaginas just don't do it for me.

    --
    God invented whiskey so the Irish would not rule the world.
  9. Why doesn't the thing have a laser? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I know it goes without saying, BUT, why doesn't the thing have a laser? Wouldn't soldiers with access to the camera also want access the trigger? Just wondering...