Student Makes Real-Life Portal Turret

Not enough bullets by ebunga · 2012-05-15 03:55 · Score: 4, Funny

And it doesn't even fire the entire bullet.

Re:Not enough bullets by Jonner · 2012-05-15 05:34 · Score: 1

It does fire the entire foam dart.

Yes by synapse7 · 2012-05-15 03:57 · Score: 5, Insightful

All military gun turrets should have a seductive female voice enticing their targets.

Re:Yes by dkleinsc · 2012-05-15 03:57 · Score: 1

No hard feelings.

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Re:Yes by Anonymous Coward · 2012-05-15 04:00 · Score: 0

Is somebody there?
Re:Yes by h4rr4r · 2012-05-15 04:24 · Score: 0

Hand over your geek card.
The quote is "Is anyone there?"
Re:Yes by i+kan+reed · 2012-05-15 04:24 · Score: 1

Seductive? That's creepy. They sounded like small children.
Re:Yes by HeLLFiRe1151 · 2012-05-15 04:40 · Score: 4, Funny

It's from Penn State, what else would you expect?

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Re:Yes by synapse7 · 2012-05-15 05:13 · Score: 1

Not exactly what I was implying, but the voice-over gave me the idea.
Re:Yes by Anonymous Coward · 2012-05-15 05:24 · Score: 1

There you are! It was a trap.
Re:Yes by Anonymous Coward · 2012-05-15 06:39 · Score: 1

It's from Penn State, what else would you expect?

Penn State engineering student here. Our football program is screwed up, not the engineering department. But who cares, let's continue making jokes about people that had nothing at all to do with the events that transpired.
Re:Yes by Anonymous Coward · 2012-05-15 06:53 · Score: 0

State College resident here. Hey Penn State engineering student... you're just going to have to live with it for a long, long while.

Awesome! by scubamage · 2012-05-15 03:58 · Score: 4, Interesting

Great job kid! Keep it up and you could have an awesome job at the army corps of engineers, or at some other defense contractor. Great work.

Re:Awesome! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-05-15 04:18 · Score: 0

How are the hours for such work? And whatsit pay?
Re:Awesome! by mblase · 2012-05-15 05:37 · Score: 2

Great job kid! Keep it up and you could have an awesome job at the army corps of engineers, or at some other defense contractor. Great work.
Um... did you know that the Army Corps of Engineers has almost nothing to do with defense contracts?
Re:Awesome! by PRMan · 2012-05-15 05:43 · Score: 1

Great work?!? All you have to do is not wear pink!

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Re:Awesome! by scubamage · 2012-05-15 05:55 · Score: 0

Really? I actually didn't know that. The last I heard about the army corps of engineers was that they were working on building herf guns (this was years ago) and had had one that they were demonstrating - blowing out computer monitors.
Re:Awesome! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-05-15 08:37 · Score: 1

Good hours. Great pay. Check your soul at the door, unless you're a True Believer (TM). How do you know if you're a TB? Here's a simple test:
We have to give up certain rights, like the 4th ammendment in order to preserve our rights.
If you agree, you're a TB. If you think it's bullshit but shove it into the back of your mind and remind yourself that somebody has to feed your kids, you're not a TB. You're just a douche. You'll probably get the job and do OK though. If you wonder what kind of dystopian nightmare your country has become, you plainly think too much beyond the "it's cool" factor and you will most likely not fit in. You might blow the whistle when you see something bad. You might decide it's better to live under a bridge. You're better off not getting into this field in the first place. Try social work, or if you're not the social worker type and you're still fundamentally conservative (and yet have a conscience) then consider the ministry, driving a truck, or some other occupation that doesn't involve such moral compromises.
Re:Awesome! by DarwinSurvivor · 2012-05-15 10:15 · Score: 1

He left out the part where all the troups are being outfitted with paintball guns loaded with full of pink paint. This not only improves their stealth capabilities, but also reduces the weight they must carry.
Re:Awesome! by jtseng · 2012-05-16 00:38 · Score: 1

He should send his resume to Weyland-Yutani - they might be hiring.

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Re:Awesome! by tehcyder · 2012-05-16 00:46 · Score: 1

Great job kid! Keep it up and you could have an awesome job at the army corps of engineers, or at some other defense contractor. Great work.
Or alternatively he could get a grown up job.

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To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
Re:Awesome! by Pseudonym · 2012-05-17 15:00 · Score: 1

We sell those too.

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sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f(q{sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f});

Whyyyyy? by GameboyRMH · 2012-05-15 04:00 · Score: 3, Insightful

I don't blame you.

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"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel

Re:Whyyyyy? by buchner.johannes · 2012-05-15 04:32 · Score: 2

and why is the robot shooting for your balls? I think it's trying to stop you from breeding ;)

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Mini-gun by Sperbels · 2012-05-15 04:01 · Score: 4, Interesting

I think a rubber band mini-gun would have been more suitable for this project. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7UIoYGSVoQ

Re:Mini-gun by GameboyRMH · 2012-05-15 04:04 · Score: 2

I was wondering if he would replicate the firing mechanism shown in the game, where bullets are loaded from a hopper and shot out using an electric firing mechanism (no powder required). Now that would be impressive.

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"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
Re:Mini-gun by Anonymous Coward · 2012-05-15 04:19 · Score: 0

I was wondering if he would replicate the firing mechanism shown in the game, where bullets are loaded from a hopper and shot out using an electric firing mechanism (no powder required). Now that would be impressive.
Or wire up a couple of Airsoft machine guns with large magazines. I think they are battery-powered and the triggers are just switches so it should be easy enough to replace the manual trigger with an arduino-controlled one.
Re:Mini-gun by h4rr4r · 2012-05-15 04:27 · Score: 1

No need for magazines, there are plenty of airsoft guns that fire from hoppers. That way the inside of the turret could be a hopper like GP suggested.

control link lost default = kill anything that mov by Anonymous Coward · 2012-05-15 04:02 · Score: 1

control link lost default = kill anything that moves

which goverment agency is going to grab this first by prgrmr · 2012-05-15 04:04 · Score: 0

The Defense Department? Homeland Security? The TSA? Or is Lockheed or Raytheon or BAE or some other defense contractor going to sue the kid into oblivion over patent infringement? Or for that matter, is Valve going to sue for "licensing" infringement?

$5 says by future+assassin · 2012-05-15 04:07 · Score: 2

There's a GPS devices underneath his car now and $10 says his next flight he's gonna receive a complementary ass exam.

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Re:$5 says by Anonymous Coward · 2012-05-15 04:30 · Score: 0

Lol. But he doesn't look or sound muslim. Are u not aware of the FBI boolean function:

isTerrorist(name) { if(muslim_name && (science_project || fertiliser)) return true; return false;}
Re:$5 says by Anonymous Coward · 2012-05-15 06:07 · Score: 0

Yes, his ability to make short-range foam missile turrets track large, distinct objects is surely to be hated and feared....
Also, he mentioned being part of a group, not like he did this whole thing by himself.
Re:$5 says by Anonymous Coward · 2012-05-15 06:35 · Score: 0

Look, a programmer! Lock him up!
Re:$5 says by goose-incarnated · 2012-05-15 19:44 · Score: 1

Lol. But he doesn't look or sound muslim. Are u not aware of the FBI boolean function: isTerrorist(name) { if(muslim_name && (science_project || fertiliser)) return true; return false;}
warning: unused variable 'name'

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Sweet! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-05-15 04:09 · Score: 0

Now make an ED-209.

And? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-05-15 04:12 · Score: 4, Insightful

Is this of special note because its slightly reminiscent of Portal? These guys put together an amazing tracking turret and stuffed it with paintballs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxBa5bQfTGc&feature=player_embedded#t=62s

http://www.paintballsentry.com/

Its tracking and rate of fire is pretty terrifying, in fact. I don't see why it couldn't be sleeved to look like a Portal turret too and be way more impressive.

Re:And? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-05-15 04:33 · Score: 0

Between this and the original article, I think (I'm not a weapons person in the slightest btw) the objective was met in that it a) tracked and hit the target, and b) did so with a cheap usb camera or something as simple as a kinect(which would probably have better depth perception.) The portal sounds and shape are just frosting to make it realistic from the game.
IMO, the one thing I'm kinda 'meh' about is that the actual work is being done by the laptop in both situations. I'd be far more impressed if they managed to put the entire thing in the turret, and then communicate with it wirelessly.
Re:And? by mhajicek · 2012-05-15 04:38 · Score: 1

Really cool, but if you look at the vids on their site the hit rate seems pretty low.
Re:And? by Ihmhi · 2012-05-15 07:25 · Score: 1

I wonder if you can replace the paintballs with ball bearings and use it as a form of home defense.
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Re:And? by nicolas.bouthors · 2012-05-15 17:27 · Score: 1

I share you opinion that "making it look like Portal" does not add very much to what's already existing...
Even in real life this kind of turret is not new : http://www.gizmag.com/korea-dodamm-super-aegis-autonomos-robot-gun-turret/17198/
The only thing that make TFA interesting is that it was made "for cheap" using simple components and software. Not OSS though, wonder what OpenCV would do on this kind of project.

Needs a lot of work. by Lumpy · 2012-05-15 04:12 · Score: 4, Interesting

Tracking is really slow. it should be tracking so fast that you dont get the jerky motion.
Add in predictive aiming and you have something that may get you a job for life working at a military contractor.

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Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.

Re:Needs a lot of work. by Stormthirst · 2012-05-15 04:31 · Score: 2

Provided you can persuade the to wear pink shirts.
Re:Needs a lot of work. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-05-15 04:44 · Score: 0

not only that, we should have to sit through 2 mins of him showing us his laptop to see the bloody thing work. I had my sound off but I bet this basement dweller asked mom for some really cool music he could put to it.
Re:Needs a lot of work. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-05-15 05:15 · Score: 2, Informative

I go to a Penn State branch campus. Considering that the main campus only gives each person $1000 and one semester to design and build their project, you cant say that this is not incredible! Yes it can certainly be better, but with the monetary and time restraints you can not argue with the final result!
Re:Needs a lot of work. by tibit · 2012-05-15 05:20 · Score: 2

That's what you get if you slap together a proof of concept. Matlab's image processing can run much faster than demonstrated here, even on modest hardware. It's an unfinished hack, yes.

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A successful API design takes a mixture of software design and pedagogy.
Re:Needs a lot of work. by ArhcAngel · 2012-05-15 06:04 · Score: 2

it can certainly be better, but with the monetary and time restraints you can not argue with the final result!
This is /. We can argue about anything...like the use of contractions or garamond is superior to times new roman.

Watch...I'll get numerous replies telling me I'm an idiot for even suggesting garamond is a usable font.

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"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K
Re:Needs a lot of work. by msobkow · 2012-05-15 06:23 · Score: 2

I agree. Way back in 1988, one of my university cohorts developed image analysis and recognition software that would identify a target and paint a crosshair mid-torso. Of course in the age of the VAX 780, it was far from real-time processing. But given that even "slow" computers are over 1000 times as fast nowadays, there is absolutely no excuse for the apparent processing delays in this project. (It used to take an hour to do the analysis and paint the crosshair on a graphics terminal, so with 1000 times the processing power it should be able to do it at least 16 times a second on even a P4.)
Maybe they made some bad choices for their software. My friend's work had been raw C code, not a higher level package or interpreter like MatLab.

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I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
Re:Needs a lot of work. by msobkow · 2012-05-15 06:27 · Score: 2

The '88 software didn't require any cheating like using a bright pink shirt so it would stand out from the background, either. It would track anything human-shaped that crossed it's path, and was "smart" enough to reject other 4-limbed creatures like cats or dogs.
Rather than centering on "the pink blob", it used some interesting algorithms to build up a stick figure of the object, identify the torso stick, and aim for the middle of the torso stick.
They had a lot of fun on that project. Pretty much everything except the software used to drive the graphics terminal and do the image capture had to be custom coded.

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I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
Re:Needs a lot of work. by N!k0N · 2012-05-15 06:49 · Score: 1

Watch...I'll get numerous replies telling me I'm an idiot for even suggesting garamond is a usable font.
As requested, you're an idiot for even thinking that Garamond is "usable" in any way, shape, or form. You should really be using Times New Roman (or Helvetica, if you're concerned about the viewer's browser compatibility).
Re:Needs a lot of work. by MooseTick · 2012-05-15 07:06 · Score: 1

You fool!
Everyone knows comic sans is the only legitimate font for mankind. I'm pretty sure the original bible used it.

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Re:Needs a lot of work. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-05-15 08:39 · Score: 0

But you might accidentally the whole thing
Re:Needs a lot of work. by icebraining · 2012-05-15 09:50 · Score: 1

Python + OpenCV can detect a squirrel against a "natury" background in real time: Militarizing your backyard with Python.

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Re:Needs a lot of work. by sourcerror · 2012-05-15 10:00 · Score: 1

Put it on a drone, and now we have Python on a Plane.
Re:Needs a lot of work. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-05-15 10:22 · Score: 0

WooHOOO a new Holy war!
Popcorn, I need popcorn!
Re:Needs a lot of work. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-05-15 11:23 · Score: 0

Academic standards have gone down since then...

Re:Really slashdot? by wjhoffman1983 · 2012-05-15 04:24 · Score: 3, Insightful

I'm an idiot and I couldn't mock this up.

It's obviously not professional/military grade but I still found it impressive. Are you the type to mock amateur artwork because it's not Monet or Rembrandt?

Re:Really slashdot? by genghisjahn · 2012-05-15 04:37 · Score: 1

What have you built? Throw up some youtube videos. I'm ready to be impressed with your above-idiot abilities.

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Sorry about the mess.

Better example by pshuke · 2012-05-15 04:44 · Score: 2

While definitely cool project, I think there are better examples out there. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QcfZGDvHU8#t=16 also shows an auto tracking turret with portal voices. However in this case the tracking seems quick enough to be useful, and it actually hurts people. Add some white plastic, and you're pretty close to the "real" deal.

Anyone else misread the title by CityZen · 2012-05-15 04:46 · Score: 1

and, skipping over the last word, was hoping that someone had made the Portal "gun" that shoots out working portals?

Re:Anyone else misread the title by Anonymous Coward · 2012-05-15 22:19 · Score: 0

Indeed I did as well. I was wondering where the portals go to, and how this guy hadn't received a complimentary black bag for his head and an all expense paid trip to area 51, or gitmo, or wherever they take folks who try to invent something that would upset the balance of power, or bankrupt the airlines or car manufacturers we all donated so much money to bail out.

Re:which goverment agency is going to grab this fi by Anonymous Coward · 2012-05-15 04:47 · Score: 1

Typically in the past Valve has ended up buying the devices from people and putting them in their lobby, They have full size TF2 Sentrys and a Portal Sentry but they do not actually fire things. All you have to do is search for them and you will get the pictures.

Nope. by scribblej · 2012-05-15 05:07 · Score: 1, Insightful

This looks as much like a portal turret as a stick figure looks like an actual human.

Re:Nope. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-05-15 06:06 · Score: 0

He said the frame was a work in progress.

Project Sentry Gun by phorm · 2012-05-15 05:12 · Score: 1

I've always enjoyed this one, which seems a bit less jerky than the portal turret (though the portal turret *looks* cool)

http://projectsentrygun.rudolphlabs.com/

Re:Really slashdot? by tibit · 2012-05-15 05:16 · Score: 1

I can't but agree. For crying out loud, one can build a much smoother tracking system using image processing on a Parallax Propeller CPU, and that thing has 2kbytes of RAM per core (cog). Using matlab to run something so simple that has an update rate in low single Hz is a letdown. I'd have expected it at least to run at webcam's framerate. It is lame and unworthy of slashdot's frontpage.

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A successful API design takes a mixture of software design and pedagogy.

Re:Really slashdot? by tibit · 2012-05-15 05:19 · Score: 0

Sorry, that's an oft cited strawman. The critique exists in spite of the critiquer, you know. Sure, GP could have refrained from name-calling, but otherwise I can't but agree. It's a cool proof-of-concept, but it should be merely a first step -- something you throw together from junk in a week or so, just to figure out what you need to build the real thing. It's a step in the right direction, but completely unworthy of slashdot frontpage.

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A successful API design takes a mixture of software design and pedagogy.

Re:Really slashdot? by genghisjahn · 2012-05-15 05:22 · Score: 2

If we quit putting cool proof of concepts on slashdot, there wouldn't be much content besides apple/google/microsoft bashing. And he didn't post a critique. It's just name calling.

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Sorry about the mess.

Gnome Chompski Mark VII by Lashat · 2012-05-15 05:23 · Score: 1

are currently under development. They will fire less-lethal rounds at any dogs, cats, or children who dare to trespass onto my lawn.

http://left4dead.wikia.com/wiki/Gnome_Chompski

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For every benefit you receive a tax is levied. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Tracking a certain color of shirt..? by DC2088 · 2012-05-15 05:31 · Score: 1

Suddenly the Red and Blue teams of Team Fortress make more sense...

Re:Really slashdot? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-05-15 05:41 · Score: 0

Wait, you're asking him for example of "above-idiot abilities"?

Needs a Nerf Vulcan and neural networks by SiferDomm · 2012-05-15 05:45 · Score: 2

With artificial neural networks, stereoscopic vision, and a Nerf Vulcan you can:

Shoot down an RC helicopter
Track and range a helicopter
And even compensate for bullet drop

Re:Needs a Nerf Vulcan and neural networks by Anonymous Coward · 2012-05-15 08:06 · Score: 0

LOL!
Sorry I had a thought about Skynet being built from Nerf stuff and temporarily lost sanity leading the a post on /. of just "LOL!"

Re:which goverment agency is going to grab this fi by zlives · 2012-05-15 06:23 · Score: 1

"Valve has ended up buying"
license infringement that pays..!!!

Turret dialogue by Erbo · 2012-05-15 06:41 · Score: 4, Funny

"Did you hear that?"

"Someone is coming. Quick, tell them you see them."

"Why? I don't see them."

"It scares the hell out of people."

"R-O-F-L! All right. I see you."

"Ask her if the's still there."

"Are you still there?...She didn't say anything."

"No shit, Sherlock."

"What should I say now?"

"Come out, bitch!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz5cl131KTk

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Be who you are...and be it in style!

Re:Turret dialogue by GameboyRMH · 2012-05-15 07:12 · Score: 0

I had lols XD

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"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel

Kudos!... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-05-15 06:52 · Score: 0

Looks like it was a real fun hack, kudos to the kid, better than anything I'm trained to pull together, and the aim wasn't too shabby!

But...

It's really generous to call it a "real-life portal turret."

The tracking was jerky, it waited until the target was stopped, I think it was tracking the red shirt, not the person, and the vocalizations were coming from the laptop controlling it, not the device itself. (At least, that's my guess given how quiet the voice got when the camera was placed behind the turret for the "live fire" demonstration.)

I think it's a great student project, but what I'd really love to hear is that he's going to continue to play with it, seeing how far he can push it towards self-contained as possible. That'd be fantastic!

(That being said, again, much better than anything I'm equipped to make. This isn't an "I could do so much better" rant, ain't no way. I just hope he still is interested enough in that type-a, nerdy, obsessive "perfection" seeking that leads to truly epic hacks.)

Re:Really slashdot? by thomsonjones · 2012-05-15 07:31 · Score: 0

The one who gave the critique isn't wrong merely because they can't do what they accused the other person of failing to do. That's just an ad hominem.

Thanks for the "broken" link by Elbart · 2012-05-15 07:40 · Score: 1

That added "?fb_ref=fb" isn't some tracking-token for Facebook, no?

Re:Thanks for the "broken" link by Elbart · 2012-05-15 07:42 · Score: 1

Oh yeah, I hope those guys have enough cash, showing the uTorrent-shortcut in the taskbar of the laptop is a nice way of asking for c&d-letters. ;)
Re:Thanks for the "broken" link by Anonymous Coward · 2012-05-22 10:21 · Score: 0

Oh yeah, I hope those guys have enough cash, showing the uTorrent-shortcut in the taskbar of the laptop is a nice way of asking for c&d-letters. ;)
wtf r u on?

Get the blasted Video Only stuff out of here by Anonymous Coward · 2012-05-15 07:58 · Score: 0

why do we need a video only item on the headline page?

It's quicker & more effective to have a snap shot of the thing they built.
Then maybe an option for a video if you like the subject enough to waste that much time.
But this article requires you to watch the video just to see anything.

Waste of time................

Re:Really slashdot? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-05-15 08:42 · Score: 0

It's a fucking piece of shit. It doesn't even look like the a Portal turret. It's just a couple pieces of plexiglass glued together with a NERF gun and speaker that plays back prerecorded samples from the game.

Make it at least look like a turret, give it rapid fire airsoft pellets (at the very least) and give it a true voice synthesizer, then I'll be impressed.

Re:Really slashdot? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-05-15 09:00 · Score: 0

How many countries have you led? If the number is less than one, then you can't talk shit about George W. Bush, Adolf Hitler, Kim Jong-Il or any other head of state.

How many albums have you produced? Throw up some youtube videos or you can't criticize Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, rap "artists" or any other musician.

How many automobiles have you personally drafted and built? Throw up some youtube videos or you can't criticize Ford Pintos, AMC Gremlins, Yugos or any other automobile.

How many operating systems have you written? Throw up some youtube videos or you can't criticize Windows Me, Mac OS 9, SCO Unix or any other operating system.

Dumbass.

Without the looming consequence of death... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-05-15 12:01 · Score: 0

Is this even science?

Re:which goverment agency is going to grab this fi by Ocker3 · 2012-05-15 16:38 · Score: 2

How much good-will does Valve generate from doing this (both from people who they buy them from, their friends, the people who see it in the lobby, their friends, and people who read about it, and Their friends), vs what piddling amounts of money they'd get for suing people, And the amount of good-will they'd Lose from doing that. Besides, who's making a living selling this kind of thing? It's not as if Valve is competing with these people and their products, it's an obvious synergy.

Re:which goverment agency is going to grab this fi by theshowmecanuck · 2012-05-15 17:46 · Score: 1

None. This isn't the first Slashdot story about a guy combining motion control and a weapon. I wish I could find the story, but at least 5 years ago, maybe more, some guy wired together a turret holding an automatic bb gun and motion sensing and control. And it was a lot smother and faster responding than this. It was kind of funny because he shot the shit out of his brother or friend or whoever it was halfway out in the back yard. It was a couple of bursts and then they stopped.

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-- I ignore anonymous replies to my comments and postings.

Re:which goverment agency is going to grab this fi by zlives · 2012-05-16 04:42 · Score: 1

think about amount of goodwill they will generate without steam :)

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Student Makes Real-Life Portal Turret

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