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A Peek At South Korea's Autonomous Robot Gun Turrets
cylonlover writes "If there's one place you don't want to be caught wandering around right now, it's the demilitarized zone that separates North and South Korea. Especially since South Korean military hardware manufacturer DoDAMM used the recent Korea Robot World 2010 expo to display its new Super aEgis 2, an automated gun turret that can detect and lock onto human targets from kilometers away, day or night and in any weather conditions, and deliver some heavy firepower."
can it detect cloaked spies carrying sappers?
The AACS key is NOT 0xF606EEFD628B1CA427BEA93A9CA9773F
The Juche spirit is indomitable. The capitalist lap dogs of the South cannot hope to win because their people are weak and unwilling to die for their country.
North Korea is doomed.
The real reason they have Autoturrets is because of the notorious Axe Murder Incident (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axe_murder_incident)
I tend not to get too excited by weapons since they are designed to kill people. Still, these are primarily defensive.
What is really great about them though is that they can be used s an alternative to landmines. There has been a strong demand for a landmine ban from a lot of the world for some time, but they have been unable to get US backing. Now, the US is pretty responsible with its landmines, but the failure of such a major nation to agree to treaties bannning mines has resulted in many less responsible nations refusing to do so either.
These autonomous sentries are a lot easier to spot and deactivate, and considerably less likely to be forgotten about. They're not exactly pleasant but far better than the alternative.
At some point, they have enough conventional weapons that they can guarantee each other's destruction even without the need of nukes.
I'd hate to be the maintenance guy: "You sure this thing's been swithced off?" "Sure thing, go right ahead...." "Okay, it's a four kilometer hike, and don't turn it back on until I've checked it, and walked back...."
What's really great about these turrets is that besides being able to fire missiles long range, they can also detect cloaked units up to 7 spaces away. This is especially useful for detecting ghosts and wraiths.
just send in cardboard cutouts on Segways until the turret runs out of ammo. I wonder if they would shoot at someone walking on their hands, or maybe you can program them to only shoot people with bad fashion/hair...hmmmm
Waiting for the other shoe to...
If you read the "story" you will see that the entire DMZ angle is entirely speculation. The writer doesn't know if this weapon is used there or not, but that doesn't stop him waffling on about it, before admitting its all speculation at the end.
Do they have limited ammo with a cool retro yellow-black interface, which ticks down to zero with appropriate warnings, is fooled by throwing an empty bucket in front of it, and which exhausts its entire ammo supply in under 30 seconds?
Either way, the Aliens:Special Edition guys probably would like to have a look at them.
East Germany used to use similar devices and ended up removing them.
The article keeps referring to DoDAMM, but the photo is clearly labelled with a DoDAAM logo -- but I'm not sure whether to blame the reporter or the company, as their informational poster seems to be full of translation errors too...
I mod down anyone who says "I will be modded down for this", regardless of the rest of their comment
I'm just glad that South Korea has learned lessons about winning the hearts and minds of the populace, and is not making itself look like an evil faceless inhuman foe to the people of the North.
.... they're a sitting duck for a missile or shelling to take them out.
....one hell of a Top Gear episode
We'll start off here, in Busan, South Korea
and race up the east coast into the demilitarised zone between N & S Korea
Avoiding the barrage of automatic gun fire, we'll hurtle into North Korea
Now, as many western maps have no details on the layout of North Korea, we'll all become James May for the day, and probably get lost
But by mid-afternoon we must have traversed west through North Korea, and begin our journey back south down the western coast
Again, avoiding the barrage of automatic gun fire as we pass into South Korea, we'll finish the race in a town called Gwangju for a traditional Korean evening meal (which Hammond won't eat)
auto turret
I for one welcome out new rob... ah screw it.
have extremely cute voices?
After years of not using a signature, I am going to make one to say the following: Fuck Beta
Just another RWS. RWS are cool, but old news. One can mount them most anywhere, and covering the DMZ is a good use for them. This isn't "news" to anyone who follows military developments.
A common model:
http://tinyurl.com/35ap2m8
"This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
can find and lock onto a human sized target.
So you'll be safe if you cross the DMZ dressed as big bird or am I missing something?
That's how these turrets are going to fail. They simply go out of ammo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGE_h4jBBXc
I tend not to get too excited by weapons since they are designed to kill people. Still, these are primarily defensive.
There are no such things as defensive or "primarily defensive" weapons. Or pehaps it would be more accurate to admit that there are such but the distinction is completely irrelevant.
Let's imagine that during the cold war one of the sides would have came up with a technology that would have given them 100% protection from the opponent's missiles. This would have been primarily defensive technology (and one that protects the civilian population!) but it obviously would have meant that the side gets a massive offensive advantage (as the other side can't retaliate). Or let's imagine that a nation occupies another nation and then uses primarily defensive weapons to hold those areas under control (to prevent the attacks of the resistance movement and such). Is that offensive or defensive? In nearly any imaginable conflict, the attacker also needs to defend itself and as such it doesn't really matter whether a weapon is defensive or not.
You could make a point that the defensive weapons help keep the current situation stable (Let's deploy those to every border of every nation and if they're efficient enough... Whoo! No war!) but that doesn't really matter unless we know that the current situation is and will be the preferred one. There are (and will be) plenty of dictatorships that will use the newest defensive technologies to prevent revolutions. I know that I'm somewhat stretching the literal meaning of the word but I'd still like to say that sometimes keeping the situation stable is equivalent to an offensive action (That a cruel dictator is equivalent to an occupying force)... Now, some entities always can defeat the newest technologies, others can't. This essentially means that every time a new (defensive) weapon is created, more power is concentrated to the entities that are already the most rich and powerful. That's the only stability that those create.
As for those being alternative to land mines... Interesting point. I bet that those are (and will be, for the foreseaable future) so much more expensive than landmines, though, that it won't be "either-or". It will probably be "landmines" or "both".
FTFA:
a gyroscopic stabilizer unit helps correct both the video system's aim and the direction [...] after recoil pushes them off-target.
Obviously, the legions of south-korean iPhone developers came to good use.
Here's a video on Youtube showing the prototype during testing, I'm sure it's only a glitch.
> Weapons aren't evil when used to defend oneself.
Weapons are not evil. To be evil requires the capacity for good, Some "evil" people are not evil because they lack this trait; they are insane.
Even the ICJ has admitted that nuclear weapons might be legitimately used in some circumstances, for example.
And enough rifles will kill as many people as died at Hiroshima, or Dresden. Or under Stalin.
A weapon is a tool, to be used or abused or destroyed or thrown away. Your point--"when used to defend oneself"--shows that It is what we do with the weapon that establishes moral worth.
-- IANAL, this isn't legal advice, and definitely isn't legal advice for you. Also, Squee!
...what ever happened to the Three Laws of Robotics?
So what's going to happen with the classic NSA saying?
Guns dont kill people. Turrets kill people?
...but the only way to be sure is to nuke the North from orbit.
I am very small, utmostly microscopic.
... remote controlled. Still requires a human to fire from a protected (remote) position. Weapon connects using Ethernet or Wireless.... (Yes, i not only did RTFA, but also read the promotional poster of the weapon itself)
Defeat the ability of the 'autofocus Infra-Red sensor' and the weapon is rendered useless.
He who knows best knows how little he knows. - Thomas Jefferson
... remote controlled. This turrets still require a human being for firing from a remote secure location. They can be connected by wire (ethernet) or wireless. Yes, i not only did RTFA, but also read the promotional poster of the weapon itself.
I just sent wave after wave of men until the killbots simply reached their kill limit of 999,999 then swept them off the floor.
It's about time someone developed something like this. Now I can finally keep them danged neighbor kids off of my lawn for good!
that's US? no, it must be the 'other guys'? is dick cheney a bigger crook than the wiki guy? (this post may be unreadable by certain folks).
...seen 6 years ago on slashdot (and with a lovely video in TFA)
and there is yet more evidence that the "3-laws" pipedream was always a ridiculous fantasy. Humans have been killing each other for millenia, they've been automating for centuries, and they've been trying to dissassociate for decades.
I can see the court proceeding clearly: "I didn't kill that child that wandered into the [dmz, secure area, facility], it was the automatic gun that did it. [blame/charge/prosecute] the manufacturer."
"Can you come over here?" in Korean?
actually this kind of weaponry is a Communist invention, dear North Koreans, ask your former East-German friends about their border defense system; not as high tech presumably, but nearly as effective
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SM-70
The Super aEgis 2 is an automated gun tower that can find and lock on to a human-sized target in pitch darkness at a distance of up to 1.36 miles (2.2 kilometers). It uses a 35x zoom CCD camera with 'enhancement feature' for bad weather, in conjunction with a dual FOV, autofocus Infra-Red sensor, to pick out targets. Then it brings the pain, either with a standard 12.7mm caliber machine-gun, a 40mm automatic grenade launcher upgrade, or whatever other weapons system you want to bolt on to it, including surface-to-air missiles. A laser range finder helps to calibrate aim, and a gyroscopic stabilizer unit helps correct both the video system's aim and the direction of the guns after recoil pushes them off-target.
What other reason would you bolt a surface-to-air missile launcher onto an automated turret that targets humans?
They are probably vulnerable to siege tanks, or maybe cloaked dark templars.
Weapon connects using Ethernet or Wireless
so now Skynet has flying drones and turrets. does anyone even think about these things before they build machines like this?!
Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
Any politician willing to push something like this for the US-Mexican border will get my vote. I'm sure they are cheaper and more effective than the plethora of mismatched systems and procedures we use now to patrol and secure that border. Remember folks, an illegal immigrant is a person that is here illegally. The fact that people do not want them here is not racially motivated, calling them "undocumented" does not make it any more legal or change the fact that they are still here illegally. I know people like to use that card for sympathy and controversy and to pretend that they are not violating the laws and the accountability that comes with being here legally.
So, you get close to the gun turret and you hear this: "Please leave the DMZ. You have 20 seconds to comply." You begin leaving the DMZ, but 15 seconds later the is still chasing you. "You have 5 seconds to comply. Four... three... two... one... I am now authorized to use physical force!" So, these are named ED-209, right? Wonder what happens to wildlife? How about kids? If the thing is programmed to avoid kids, does that mean little people get a free pass, too?
How would you like to have to go repair one of these? I'm sure they have a remote shut-off, but what if that is the broken part?
It's just a matter of time til some asshole straps it to one of these:
http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/10/10/12/1724211/Robots-Guarding-US-Nuclear-Stockpiles-In-Nevada
and then flips the auto go button to see what happens. Robotic gun turret hitching a ride on a robotic hummer.
Life is going to get real interesting where ever that thing is.
They will make great additions to my Z-Day preparations.
...Is anyone there? ...Could you come over here?
I don't blame you.
Weapons get smarter as people get dumber, I live on the east coast of Canada where right now I can walk to work in a T-shirt when a scant 6 years ago I was up to my waist in snow but there is nothing to worry about there.. It makes more sense for organizations to sink tens of millions of dollars hunting down college students and 4 year olds for downloading Dora episodes and GnR songs from back when they didnt suck, or researching the social structure and intimate interactions of mice.. or lining the pockets of bloated politicians whose goals and motives seldom reflect the will of joe public and suzy housewife....or in this case, creating more complex death machines that require less human interaction, and no moral divide... I really hate people.
When you dislike the human race as much as I do, Karma:Bad is inevitable lol.
Doesn't sound like it would work that well through fog/smoke.
You still basically need humans 24/7 to monitor that the optics have not suffered a bird poop or snow pack, and myriads of other vital systems. And presumably to approve engagement.
i think it was late at night, on one of cartoon network's adult swim shows
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
When are we placing these on the border with Mexico?
Strange, that (if my browser search is not corrupted already) noone mentioned SkyNet or Terminator(s) here so far. Even if SkyNet booting is somehow overdue now, still:
1) such a things happens regullarly in technics
2) that may be the latest Terminator's timing correction after Connor reached Cheyene mountain in the third sequel...
Joking, of course... hey, do I ?
"Interesting times to you..." (One of the most feared black magic curses.)
I remember a home made gun turret made by a student that was covered by Slashdot a few years ago, the guy who made it used his brother as a test subject. The turret carried a toy BB gun...still looked like it hurt when it nailed his brother quite comprehensively.
Wish I could find a link. IIRC it used a cheap webcam and an image processing library to recognise a human form, and just pointed the gun that way and started firing.
Oolite: Elite-like game. For Mac, Linux and Windows
But does it run Lotus Notes?
The Cake Is A Lie! Care to prove me wrong, Kim Jong?
Today:
"Super aEgis 2, an automated gun turret that can detect and lock onto human targets from kilometers away, day or night and in any weather conditions, and deliver some heavy firepower."
Tomorrow:
"Super XXXXX, an automated gun turret that can detect and lock onto Super aEgis 2 targets from kilometers away, day or night and in any weather conditions, and deliver some heavy firepower."
Huh. That core must have had some ancillary responsibilities.
I can't shut off the turret defences.
Oh well. If you want my advice, you should just go lie down in front of a rocket. Trust me, it will be a lot less painful than the neurotoxin.
All machines communicate back to headquarters through a LAN cable or wireless network.
Remember those little usb powered rocket launchers? Booya.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkAmpMy8liQ
With kids making autonomous turrets out of paintball guns, legos and Nerf Guns, I no longer see these as new or special. I would be extremely surprised if they were not in wide use in some form already (ie: auto-hunt, but wait for human confirmation of target before firing), with many more functions than just machine gun (missiles, grenades, laser targeter, etc)
-Tm
Support TBI Research: http://www.raisinhope.org
Stationary high-value targets.
This solves the wrong problem. Understand South Korea's basic defensive problem: Seoul is only 40Km from North Korea. Some suburbs are much closer. North Korea has artillery with at least a 60Km range, plus missiles and nuclear weapons.
No fixed obstacle has ever stopped a serious armored assault force. See Maginot Line, Ardennes Forest, Siegfried Line, Normandy Invasion, Kuwait.
Can we put thees on the Mexican/US Borders?
Devices like this are the future of modern warfare. Unflinching, unwavering, completely accurate and obedient.
The scary part is that devices like this aren't all that difficult to construct. I don't have the link, but years ago there was a video floating around of a kid doing this with a paintball gun and a webcam. I don't think it will be long before some nutjob sets up one of these on his roof.
Even scarier is the thought that someone could hook a green laser pointer up to such a control system and blind everyone in, say, times square, in a fraction of a second. It's about damn time we start treating things like high-powered lasers as munitions, subject to ownership requirements and background checks like we do with firearms.
The future scares the crap out of me, and makes me glad I don't have children of my own to worry about.
http://www.masturbateforpeace.com/
This is interesting, in a "new fact to file away and ponder much later" but in no way new. Modern naval ships have had this type of technology for a very, very long time. By way of example, one of the more modern Frigates in the world, first deployed in 1990, can continue to acquire (via Identify Friend or Foe transponders, or IFF, which everyone uses and have for ages, plus various aggression-identifying logic systems), track and attack targets under a full combat level of alertness even if all personnel on board are dead.
Within the next 10 years practically every navy in the world will have this type of system in place; the only ones who currently do not are those whose ships are more than 20 years old and for whatever reason, could not upgrade the command-and-control system in the meantime.
...I never needed nuthin more than my trusty shotgun to keep pesky youngsters off my porch.
The fictional standard that all real ones probably should be measured against :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ho4zowaaXI
Uh, Linux geek since 1999.
In addition to the prohibitions provided by special Conventions, it is especially forbidden -
...
To employ arms, projectiles, or material calculated to cause unnecessary suffering;
South Korea is a signatory country of those conventions.
'The tyrant will always find pretext for his tyranny.' - Aesop's Fables
Why they can do that to a machine gun, and we can not do the same.. to electronic cameras in the south border?
we should have more zones like this : "As a fascinating aside, this has also made it one of the world's best-kept nature preserves - the complete absence of human interference leaving a more or less pristine habitat for all kinds of wildlife, endangered and otherwise."
beware he who denies you access to information for in his mind, he already deems himself to be your master (SMAC-ish)