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Robot Helicopters To Single Out Pirate Ships

Posted by timothy on from the does-this-pass-the-skiff-test? dept.

Hugh Pickens writes "Innovation News reports that the U.S. Navy plans to upgrade its robotic Fire Scouts with electronic 'brains' that are able to automatically recognize small pirate boats spotted through 3D laser imaging by bouncing millions of laser pulses off distant objects to create a 3D 'radar' image of any boats on the high seas — a technology known as LIDAR or LADAR — so that their new software can automatically compare the 3D images to pirate boat profiles on record. Having smarter robotic helicopters could ease the workload strain for Navy sailors, who must otherwise eyeball the data coming from the new Multi-Mode Sensor Seeker (MMSS) — a sensor mix of high-definition cameras, mid-wave infrared sensors and the 3D LADAR technology. Meanwhile, the Navy has begun testing other new technologies to tackle the problem of piracy — an especially thorny issue because of Somali pirates attacking ships off the coast of East Africa. Its more forceful countermeasures include a combination of lasers and machine guns, as well as swarms of smart rockets capable of picking out their own small boat targets."

15 of 123 comments (clear)

  1. Arrrr! by dutchwhizzman · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yer cannet detact me skull'n'bones flag!

    --
    I was promised a flying car. Where is my flying car?
    1. Re:Arrrr! by Motard · · Score: 3, Funny

      Couldn't we just hide GPS tracking devices in peg legs?

  2. Robots Vs. Pirates by hey! · · Score: 5, Funny

    I am the only one who thinks that sounds like a summer movie?

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    Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
    1. Re:Robots Vs. Pirates by monktus · · Score: 5, Funny

      Pirate pours seawater over robot, alien shoots pirate with ray gun, ninja decapitates alien, cowboy shoots ninja, wizard hexes cowboy, Spock nerve pinches wizard, scissors cut paper, paper covers rock, rock crushes lizard, lizard poisons Spock, Spock smashes scissors, scissors decapitate lizard, lizard eats paper, paper disproves Spock, Spock vaporises rock, rock crushes scissors.

      --
      Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals... except the weasel."
    2. Re:Robots Vs. Pirates by Arancaytar · · Score: 4, Funny

      But I can't see any ninjas anywhere in that title---

      oh.

  3. Bigger issue that needs solving by Calydor · · Score: 3, Insightful

    What is the use of this until a far greater problem with the Somali pirates is solved?

    Capturing them does nothing. No African nation will take them and prosecute them, so after a few weeks the navy ships are forced to simply release them, after which they go right back to pirating. Until that problem is solved, really, what is the use of better detection tools?

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    1. Re:Bigger issue that needs solving by Nidi62 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      What is the use of this until a far greater problem with the Somali pirates is solved?

      Capturing them does nothing. No African nation will take them and prosecute them, so after a few weeks the navy ships are forced to simply release them, after which they go right back to pirating.

      You're right. We need to go back to the classic way of dealing with them. Capture them, convene Captain's Mast, try them, then execute them.

      Seriously though, they engage in piracy because the risk is greatly outweighed by the reward. The Somali government cannot do anything, as they can barely keep control of Mogadishu. The shipping/insurance companies? It's easier for them to just pay the couple hundred thousand dollar ransom. The only way to stop piracy is to make the risk no longer worth the reward. This can be done in 2 ways, by raising the risk significantly, or reducing the reward(in a relative sense, ie make fishing/farming/whatever more profitable). And right now, the political/economic situation in Somalia makes the first way much more feasible than the second way.

      --
      The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
    2. Re:Bigger issue that needs solving by theshowmecanuck · · Score: 3, Informative

      Bullshit. From Wikipedia, and it is a good definition: A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. These are people authorized during wartime by a government. Some may have become pirates later, but often were just considered pirates by those on the opposing side in the war.

      In fact some privateers are considered some of the greatest heroes in history. For example, Sir Francis Drake who repelled the Spanish Armada during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I was a privateer (but considered by the Spanish to be a pirate).

      Armed merchantmen were also known as the Merchant Marine (or Merchant Navy) during World War II. They were one of the most important reasons that the Allies won the war, and they were on the front line for the entirety of the Battle of the Atlantic, the longest single campaign of the war. No matter what equipment we, the Allies had, no matter how many men or how great our generals, none would have made it to the fight without the Merchant Marine. Not only were they essential, they were true heroes. Until antisubmarine technology and tactics came up to speed, many were at the mercilessness of the German U-boat wolf packs that killed many of the seamen. And if they were not armed, many more would have perished and we would have lost the war before it began since neither Britain nor Russia would have been able to get enough food or military equipment and ammunition to hold off the Axis forces. And none of these men became pirates after. And as I see it, since they were private merchant vessels authorized by governments to be armed and attack enemy ships, they were technically speaking, privateers.

      The way I see it, all shipping in areas where pirates are known to operate should be expected to carry armed guards and weapons. Why the hell should we be expected to spend money... let me rephrase that... why the hell should we be expected to waste money on trials and food and jail space for these thieves and murderers is beyond me. I think all the politically correct governments should get their heads out of their asses (including mine: Canada). If they see a pirate, blow him out of the water. Then let the survivors drown. Soon enough these thieving fucks will stop. It's not like they have the kind of resources to be able to take on anything of any size anyway. Nor will they be able to. They don't have the resources, so we won't see them attacking with Harpoon missiles or Excocets, or heaven forbid P-700, P-800, or Brahmas either. If that extremely unlikely day ever comes, they won't be attacking from small boats either.

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      -- I ignore anonymous replies to my comments and postings.
  4. Brochure for the Fire X by skyshiro · · Score: 4, Informative

    http://www.as.northropgrumman.com/products/fire-x/assets/Fire-X_Brochure.pdf Cool stuff, all of this was done in less than a year according to Northrop.

  5. A big heap of cardboard boxes... by paj1234 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ...readily alter one's piratey-boat profile.

  6. Dual purposes by Shoten · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The technologies being developed by the Navy also have another use: the current battle plan for the Iranian Navy, should they decide to harass shipping traffic (again) or try to close the Strait of Hormuz would be to use lots of small boats, much as the pirates do. But unlike the pirates, they would tend to be more destructive instead of trying to board the ships. Being able to detect those boats from afar, recognize them as a threat and then destroy/deter them from a standoff distance is the key to maintaining open traffic there, and incredibly difficult to do.

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  7. You are being lied to about pirates by thinker · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Piracy arose as a response by local fishermen from littoral towns such as Eyl, Kismayo and Harardhere to illegal fishing by foreign trawlers.[97][98][99] An upsurge in piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean has also been attributed to the effects of the December 26, 2004 tsunami that devastated local fishing fleets and washed ashore containers filled with toxic waste that had been dumped by European fishing vessels.[99][100]--Somalia

    "What you mean by seizing the whole earth; but because I do it with a petty ship, I am called a robber, while you, who do it with a great fleet, are called emperor."--You are being lied to about pirates

  8. AAARGH!, not LADAR by colinrichardday · · Score: 3, Funny

    Adaptive Aerial Antipirate Robotically Generated Holography!

  9. Re:Tried and failed by ironjaw33 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Failed? I wouldn't call this failed. Furthermore, when considering piracy, in what cases have pirates come back with bigger guns? It's not just merchant vessels hiring PMCs to ward off pirates, but navies ranging from the US to India patrol the Indian Ocean. I can't imagine pirates would have bigger guns than they would. Make the risks of kidnapping too high and piracy will decline.

  10. Sailing by SimonInOz · · Score: 3, Funny

    As a one time ocean cruiser - in a small boat - may I just say how terrifying this sounds?
    There you are, sailing along off the coast of somewhere, minding your own business and wondering if you can stretch to one more warm beer from your fast-dwindling supplies, when a robot helicopter comes along and shoots the shit out of you.

    As if rogue waves, giant fish, waterspouts and annoying customs officials weren't enough, now we get robot helicopters?
    Come back Bender, all is forgiven. At least you could try to reason with him, um, it.

    --
    "Cats like plain crisps"