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Robots Guarding US Nuclear Stockpiles In Nevada

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the no-disassemble-johnny-five dept.

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."

3 of 128 comments (clear)

  1. 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

  2. Good use of the technology by John3 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This seems like an excellent use of robotic patrol vehicles. Driving around on patrol in that desert is a tedious assignment and the chance that someone might actually show up out there to steal old nuclear waste is pretty low. If the robotic vehicle detects anything unusual there is plenty of time to get people (or the next generation of vehicular robot?) out to the site to investigate further and/or stop the perps.

    --
    "We make our world significant by the courage of our questions and by the depth of our answers." Carl Sagan
  3. What happens north of New Vegas... by Tackhead · · Score: 5, Interesting
    What happens north of New Vegas... stays north of New Vegas.

    (When I first saw a picture of the thing, I thought it was an asset from Fallout:New Vegas. It's a Robobrain come to life... awesome! :)

    These things could actually have civilian applications. Scatter a bunch over Death Valley or other remote areas, and partner 'em with a high-altitude drone overlooking the area for stranded motorists or backcountry hikers, and send an autonomous mount with a few gallons of water after 'em after a few hours of immobility. It'll have pretty decent odds of getting there in time to help, and the remote operator can then talk with the hiker/motorist to determine what sort of human intervention (if any) is necessary.