Engadget http://www.engadget.com Engadget http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif Engadget http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[US Navy Fire Scouts will automatically spot pirates, give 30 seconds to comply]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/08/us-navy-fire-scouts-will-automatically-spot-pirates-give-30-sec/http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/08/us-navy-fire-scouts-will-automatically-spot-pirates-give-30-sec/http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/08/us-navy-fire-scouts-will-automatically-spot-pirates-give-30-sec/#comments US Navy Fire Scouts will automatically spot pirates, give 30 seconds to complyWar. What is it good for? Well, if new use of technology by the US Navy has anything to do with it, finding Pirates for a start. By upgrading its existing Fire Scouts with new 3D laser imaging tech, it's hoped that the drones will be able to recognize the small ships used by these unscrupulous seafarers. The system, known as LIDAR (Light Detection And Ranging, also known as LADAR) uses millions of laser pulses reflected off an object to create the three-dimensional image, which could then referenced against known pirate ships from a database. Ultimately, human operators will make the final call, to avoid any ED-209 style mis-understandings. That said, if you're taking the dingy out past the Californian breakwaters this summer, you might want to keep the stars and stripes in clear view, as that's where the Navy will be running its initial trials.

US Navy Fire Scouts will automatically spot pirates, give 30 seconds to comply originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Apr 2012 09:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3d image3dImagearmydefensedroneFire ScoutFireScoutLADARlaserLIDARmilitaryMQ-8MQ-8 Fire ScoutMq-8FireScoutMQ-9navypiratesreaperrobotrobot apocalypseRobotApocalypseuacuavunmanned aerial vehicleunmanned aircraftUnmannedAerialVehicleUnmannedAirUnmannedAircraftus navyUsNavywargadgetSun, 08 Apr 2012 09:24:00 EST<![CDATA[Laser steering system uses liquid crystal to destroy the enemy on the cheap (video)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/03/laser-steering-system-uses-liquid-crystal-to-destroy-the-enemy-o/http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/03/laser-steering-system-uses-liquid-crystal-to-destroy-the-enemy-o/http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/03/laser-steering-system-uses-liquid-crystal-to-destroy-the-enemy-o/#commentsIt might look like a poor man's game of Pong now, but a new laser steering system coming out of North Carolina State University could make blowing things up Star Wars-style cheaper and more efficient. The setup enlists a series of "polarization gratings" through which a laser beam passes. Each of these gratings, made of liquid crystal applied to a plate of glass, are configured to redirect the light in a particular direction, thus simply steering the laser beam without significantly decreasing its power -- with each grating comes a new "steerable" angle. The system's creators point out its not only hyper accurate, but also less expensive than existing arrangements due to the use of liquid crystal. Apparently the US Air Force is already using the stuff, but don't expect them to go all Death Star anytime soon.

Continue reading Laser steering system uses liquid crystal to destroy the enemy on the cheap (video)

Laser steering system uses liquid crystal to destroy the enemy on the cheap (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 May 2011 06:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>defenseinfraredIRIR laserIrLaserlaserlaser beam steeringlaser beamslaser steeringlaser steering systemLaserBeamsLaserBeamSteeringlasersLaserSteeringLaserSteeringSystemmilitaryMilitaryTechNorth Carolina State UniversityNorthCarolinaStateUniversityus air forceUsAirForcevideowarwar gadgetWarGadgetTue, 03 May 2011 06:49:00 EST<![CDATA[BAE's lasers blind high seas pirates, have no effect on Ice Pirates]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/11/baes-lasers-blind-high-seas-pirates-have-no-effect-on-ice-pira/http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/11/baes-lasers-blind-high-seas-pirates-have-no-effect-on-ice-pira/http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/11/baes-lasers-blind-high-seas-pirates-have-no-effect-on-ice-pira/#comments
BAE Systems has had its hands in some pretty crazy research in the past, from Bug Bots to invisibility cloak development and more. But as this next item has implications for our planned dystopian gadget community on the high seas (think Waterworld-meets-The Engadget Show), we took notice tout de suite. Being marketed as a non-lethal deterrent to pirates, the heart of the ship-based system is a Nd:YAG laser that can be used to warn off attackers over half a mile away -- and disorient them at closer ranges. "The effect is similar to when a fighter pilot attacks from the direction of the sun," said BAE's Roy Evans. "The glare from the laser is intense enough to make it impossible to aim weapons like AK47s or RPGs, but doesn't have a permanent effect." Wild, huh? Check out the PR after the break for the complete low-down.

Continue reading BAE's lasers blind high seas pirates, have no effect on Ice Pirates

BAE's lasers blind high seas pirates, have no effect on Ice Pirates originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bae systemsBaeSystemsdefenselaserless lethalLessLethalnonlethalpiracypiratestransportationwargadgetweaponTue, 11 Jan 2011 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Secret Soviet-era laser tank pops up in the Ivanovo Oblast]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/22/secret-soviet-era-laser-tank-pops-up-in-the-ivanovo-oblast/http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/22/secret-soviet-era-laser-tank-pops-up-in-the-ivanovo-oblast/http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/22/secret-soviet-era-laser-tank-pops-up-in-the-ivanovo-oblast/#comments
If we've learned anything from the former Soviet Union, it's that collapsed empires have lots of awesome tech just layin' around. We've recently heard tale of someone who found the remnants of the USSR's lunar program under a tarp somewhere, and now a Russian website has uncovered some pretty bad-ass pics of the 1K17 Self-Propelled Laser Complex. First deployed in 1992, the vehicle features a laser system that could be used, as the machine translated document says, to "provide anti-opto-electronic surveillance systems" in even "the harshest climatic and operating conditions imposed on the armor." (In other words, the lasers would disrupt the enemy's electronics and optics, even in the bleak Russian winter.) It seems that the program was discontinued pretty quickly due to expense, with the hardware eventually being consigned to the Military Technical Museum in the Ivanovo Oblast.

Secret Soviet-era laser tank pops up in the Ivanovo Oblast originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Dec 2010 14:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1K171K17 Self-Propelled Laser Complex1k17Self-propelledLaserComplexdefenselaserlaser tankLaserTankmilitaryrussiasovietsoviet unionSovietUniontanktop secretTopSecretussrwargadgetWed, 22 Dec 2010 14:19:00 EST<![CDATA[U of M laser mimics helicopter heat signatures to thwart missiles]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/06/u-of-m-lasers-mimic-helicopter-heat-signatures-thwart-missiles/http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/06/u-of-m-lasers-mimic-helicopter-heat-signatures-thwart-missiles/http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/06/u-of-m-lasers-mimic-helicopter-heat-signatures-thwart-missiles/#comments
Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed a new laser-based countermeasure for aircraft, and unlike others we've seen (and we've seen a few) this technology aims to "blind" missiles rather than knock 'em out of the sky. The system uses a mid-infrared supercontinuum laser to mimic the heat signature of a helicopter, and it has no moving parts -- making it rugged enough to last a long time on rotor-based aircraft. The school has even spun off a company, Omni Sciences, to develop the thing, and has received some $1 million in grants from the Army and DARPA to build a second-generation prototype. Of course, questions remain: is it really a wargadget if you can't blow something up with it? And even if it is, where's the fun in that?

U of M laser mimics helicopter heat signatures to thwart missiles originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Sep 2010 20:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>armycountermeasuresdarpadefenseheat seekingHeatSeekinghelicopterlaserlaser-based countermeasuresLaser-basedCountermeasuresmissileOmni SciencesOmniSciencesuniversity of michiganUniversityOfMichiganwargadgetMon, 06 Sep 2010 20:08:00 EST<![CDATA[Navy successfully tests laser-equipped robot, freaks us out in the process]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/01/navy-successfully-tests-laser-equipped-robot-freaks-us-out-in-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/01/navy-successfully-tests-laser-equipped-robot-freaks-us-out-in-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/01/navy-successfully-tests-laser-equipped-robot-freaks-us-out-in-t/#comments
We do not like where this is heading, not one bit. The Navy has been testing laser-armed robotic gun turrets for a while, and now the Register (UK) is reporting that the technology has finally been used to knock a drone out of the sky, "in an over-the-water, combat representative scenario" at San Nicolas Island. Raytheon's Phalanx CIWS, generally outfitted with a 20mm Gatling gun, is a ship's last line of defense against incoming missiles. If they can be outfitted with lasers, there will be two distinct advantages: first, they wouldn't have to be reloaded; and second, when used on land, the surrounding area won't be littered with quite so much debris (shrapnel and unexploded rounds). Then again, we can think of one distinct disadvantage: there will be robots running around with laser cannons!

Navy successfully tests laser-equipped robot, freaks us out in the process originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>defenselaserlaser cannonLaserCannonnavyPhalanxPhalanx CIWSPhalanxCiwsraytheonrobotrobot apocalypserobot gun turretRobotApocalypseRobotGunTurretwargadgetTue, 01 Jun 2010 15:17:00 EST<![CDATA[Boeing 747 destroys ballistic missile with laser (update: photos!)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/12/boeing-747-destroys-ballistic-missile-with-laser/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/12/boeing-747-destroys-ballistic-missile-with-laser/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/12/boeing-747-destroys-ballistic-missile-with-laser/#comments
No, this isn't a call to arms (yet), the US is simply evaluating its airborne laser weapon again. Now listen in because this latest test was a doozy. Last night at 8:44pm Cali time, the Airborne Laser Testbed (ALTB) successfully "destroyed" a liquid-fueled ballistic missile from an airborne platform, according to the Missile Defense Agency. A first for the directed energy weapon that we've been following since 2006. The dirty work was achieve by a modified Boeing 747-400F airframe fitted with a Northrop Grumman higher-energy laser and Lockheed Martin beam and fire control system. After an at-sea launch, the ALTB used a low-energy laser to track the target. A second, low-energy laser was used to measure and compensate for atmospheric disturbances before the megawatt-class laser was fired, "heating the boosting ballistic missile to critical structural failure." The entire episode was over just two minutes after missile launch. Good work generals, but let's see you fit that laser to a shark if you really want to impress us.

Update: Infrared images of the ALTB destroying the short-range ballistic missile after the break.

Continue reading Boeing 747 destroys ballistic missile with laser (update: photos!)

Boeing 747 destroys ballistic missile with laser (update: photos!) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Feb 2010 06:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>airborn laserairborne laser testbedAirborneLaserTestbedAirbornLaseraltlbboeingbreaking newsBreakingNewsdefenselaserlockheed martinLockheedMartinmilitarymissilenorthrop grummanNorthropGrummanusweaponFri, 12 Feb 2010 06:19:00 EST<![CDATA[Boeing's air-to-ground laser test a success, and we have the video to prove it]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/04/boeings-air-to-ground-laser-test-a-success-and-we-have-the-vid/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/04/boeings-air-to-ground-laser-test-a-success-and-we-have-the-vid/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/04/boeings-air-to-ground-laser-test-a-success-and-we-have-the-vid/#comments
Fans of future wars, heads up! What might at first blush look like a poorly placed roman candle is actually proof positive that Boeing's Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL) is ready to do some damage. Sure, when we heard last month that the company's tests at the White Sands Missile Range were a success, we responded the same way that we always do: "video or it didn't happen." But now that we've seen it in action, we have one more question: When will its big brother, the 747-mounted ABL, get its day in the limelight? We'll keep you posted.

[Via The Register]

Continue reading Boeing's air-to-ground laser test a success, and we have the video to prove it

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Boeing's air-to-ground laser test a success, and we have the video to prove it originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 04 Oct 2009 18:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>advanced tactical laserAdvancedTacticalLaserairborne laserAirborneLaseratlboeingchemical laserChemicalLaserdefenselaserus air forceUsAirForcewargadgetweaponSun, 04 Oct 2009 18:37:00 EST<![CDATA[Laser Energetics' new light weapon puts you on the highway to the Dazer Zone]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/28/laser-energetics-new-light-weapon-puts-you-on-the-highway-to-th/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/28/laser-energetics-new-light-weapon-puts-you-on-the-highway-to-th/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/28/laser-energetics-new-light-weapon-puts-you-on-the-highway-to-th/#comments
Are you looking to torment a neighbor / random passerby without the messy after-effects of traditional "just plain lethal" weapons? Perhaps you work for a law enforcement agency and you'd like to justify a budget increase by pouring cash into something vaguely futuristic. Or maybe you're a big city mayor with a "tough on crime" stance who'd rather not put any more money in social services. If so, we've found something both painful and cute sounding to add to your shopping list: Laser Energetics ("the total laser technology solutions company!") has just unveiled its new Dazer Laser less-than-lethal light fighting technology line. These bad boys operate at a range of up to 2400 meters (depending on the model), and work by emitting a green laser beam that fans out into a 1 x 8-foot "Dazer Zone." When focused on a person's eyes, his or her vision is temporarily impaired, their balance is effected, and they become overwhelmed by nausea. At the very least, it's probably better than being microwaved, right?

[Via Test Freaks]

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Laser Energetics' new light weapon puts you on the highway to the Dazer Zone originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 May 2009 01:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dazer laserdazer zoneDazerLaserDazerZonedefenselaserlaser energeticsLaserEnergeticsless than lethalLessThanLethalnonlethalnonlethal weaponsNonlethalWeaponsweaponsThu, 28 May 2009 01:42:00 EST<![CDATA[Navy shells out for development of missile-killing free-electron laser]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/24/navy-shells-out-for-development-of-missile-killing-free-electron/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/24/navy-shells-out-for-development-of-missile-killing-free-electron/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/24/navy-shells-out-for-development-of-missile-killing-free-electron/#comments
You may think that the Navy's just the baby brother to the two other US Armed Forces, but its weapon development record definitely shows otherwise. Just over two years after building an 8-Megajoule railgun, the branch has penned two $7 million checks to defense contractors Boeing and Raytheon for the design and development of a free-electron laser (FEL). For what it's worth, such a device has been yearned for since a day after the dawn of time, as unlike chemical-based lasers, the FEL would be 100 percent electric and easier to move. For those unaware,this stormy petrel of a weapon would be used to blast down missiles in mid-flight, all while putting on a pretty impressive light show. 'Course, the Navy must also figure out how to build a massive energy generating ship in order to use it, but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves here, okay?

[Image courtesy of AIP]

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Navy shells out for development of missile-killing free-electron laser originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boeingdefenseFELfree electron laserfree-electron laserFreeElectronLasergovernmentlaserlaser killingLaserKillingmissilenavyray gunRayGunRaytheonsecurityusus navyusaUsNavywarwarfareweaponFri, 24 Apr 2009 18:09:00 EST<![CDATA[Army's multimode death ray knocks out IEDs, vehicles, whiners]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/24/armys-multimode-death-ray-knocks-out-ieds-vehicles-whiners/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/24/armys-multimode-death-ray-knocks-out-ieds-vehicles-whiners/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/24/armys-multimode-death-ray-knocks-out-ieds-vehicles-whiners/#comments
While the US Air Force is dead set on shooting down missiles with airborne lasers, it looks like their colleagues in the Army are busy cooking up a little something called the Multimode Directed Energy Armament System (see our artist's conceptual rendering, above). According to Wired, this device uses an ultra-short pulse laser to create an ionized channel through the air, which it can use to send bursts of energy, conduct electricity, or act as a waveguide for an intense pulse of microwaves. If you're looking to knock out an IED, an oncoming vehicle, or an enemy combatant, this bad boy should do the trick just fine. The Army's Armament Research Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) plans on having a working prototype operating in a the real world sometime in 2011.

[Via Wired]

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Army's multimode death ray knocks out IEDs, vehicles, whiners originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Apr 2009 06:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ARDECarmydefenseiedlaserMDEASmicrowaveMultimode Directed Energy Armament SystemMultimodeDirectedEnergyArmamentSystemu.s. armyU.s.ArmyFri, 24 Apr 2009 06:32:00 EST<![CDATA[Northrop Grumman creates 100 kilowatt laser, could usher in World War III]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/23/northrop-grumman-creates-100-kilowatt-laser-could-usher-in-worl/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/23/northrop-grumman-creates-100-kilowatt-laser-could-usher-in-worl/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/23/northrop-grumman-creates-100-kilowatt-laser-could-usher-in-worl/#comments
Northrop Grumman's been plugging along on this little project for years now, and at long last, the company has surpassed the milestone that it's been striving for. According to a new release that's just beaming with pride, the defense company has reportedly achieved 100 kilowatts from a solid-state laser. For those unfamiliar with the back story, 100 kilowatts is the level needed to create a laser gun that could actually do more than cause temporary blindness on the battlefield. Sadly, it seems that lethal laser pointers are still a good ways away, with Dan Wildt, vice president of Northrop's directed energy systems program, noting that "it is still a little heavy and a little big." It's all good, Northrop -- we're down with backpack weapons, too.

[Via CNET]

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Northrop Grumman creates 100 kilowatt laser, could usher in World War III originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Mar 2009 09:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ammunitiondefenseenergy weaponEnergyWeapongovernmentkilowattslaserNorthrop GrummanNorthropGrummansecurityweaponweaponryweaponsMon, 23 Mar 2009 09:12:00 EST<![CDATA[Northrop Grumman's weaponized laser on sale now, definitely won't hug you]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/14/northrop-grummans-weaponized-laser-on-sale-now-definitely-won/http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/14/northrop-grummans-weaponized-laser-on-sale-now-definitely-won/http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/14/northrop-grummans-weaponized-laser-on-sale-now-definitely-won/#comments The last time we heard anything about Northrop Grumman's development of a weaponized laser system, they were telling us that the "hardest part was over," and it looks like they weren't exaggerating. According to today's PR released by the 4th largest defense contractor in the world, the units, dubbed FIRESTRIKE, are now "ready for sale." In case you haven't been following every detail of the story, the FIRESTRIKE is a solid-state laser (think raygun), which weighs 400 pounds, has an Ethernet interface, and can be chained together with up to 7 other identical modules to create a 100 kw beam. The unit's obviously not very portable, and we don't have any information on its price, but we're going to go ahead and assume we can't afford it. Enemies of Engadget: you're safe, at least for now.

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Northrop Grumman's weaponized laser on sale now, definitely won't hug you originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>defenselaserlaser chainlaser weaponLaserChainLaserWeaponmilitarynorthrop grummanNorthropGrummanraygunweaponweaponsFri, 14 Nov 2008 14:47:00 EST<![CDATA[Northrop Grumman's aircraft-mounted laser moves forward in testing]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/30/northrop-grummans-aircraft-mounted-laser-moves-forward-in-testi/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/30/northrop-grummans-aircraft-mounted-laser-moves-forward-in-testi/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/30/northrop-grummans-aircraft-mounted-laser-moves-forward-in-testi/#commentsWe're beginning to think the US government is playing tricks with our head. Let's see, in late 2004, a Boeing anti-missile airborne laser achieved first light; in October of 2006, a laser-equipped 747-400F was deemed ready for testing; in January of 2007, an MD-10 with Northrop Grumman's Guardian anti-missile system took off; now, we're back to the testing stage? Something doesn't add up. Whatever the case, we're being fed information that leads us to think that the US Air Force's Airborne Laser has moved on to some "other" stage of testing. More specifically, engineers are making sure its "sequencing and control" functions are operating normally. Unsurprisingly, we're left in the dark as to when this thing will see action (again?), but consider our interest piqued for a reason The Man didn't intend.

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Northrop Grumman's aircraft-mounted laser moves forward in testing originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Air ForceAirborne LaserAirborneLaseraircraftAirForceairplaneChemical Oxygen Iodine LaserChemicalOxygenIodineLaserCOILdefenselasermilitarymissilemissilesNorthrop GrummanNorthropGrummansecurityususaWed, 30 Jul 2008 13:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Boeing developing truck-mounted laser cannons for US Army]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/25/boeing-developing-truck-mounted-laser-cannons-for-us-army/http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/25/boeing-developing-truck-mounted-laser-cannons-for-us-army/http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/25/boeing-developing-truck-mounted-laser-cannons-for-us-army/#comments
Boeing is certainly no stranger to lasers of various sorts, and it's now extending its expertise to the US Army, recently snagging a $7 million contract to begin developing a truck-mounted laser weapon system. From the sound of it, the system appears to be not unlike a mobile version of the still-in-development Skyguard laser defense system, with it designed to shoot down rockets, artillery shells and mortar rounds. According to Boeing, the laser cannon would be mounted on a Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (not exactly as pictured above) and, if the Army approves, could end up costing a cool $50 million for a "significant component" of the system to be built and tested.

[Via Slashdot]

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Boeing developing truck-mounted laser cannons for US Army originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jul 2007 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>armyboeingdefenselaserlaser cannonlaser gunLaserCannonLaserGunus armyUsArmyweaponWed, 25 Jul 2007 16:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Autonomous, laser-guided turret takes aim]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/02/autonomous-laser-guided-turret-takes-aim/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/02/autonomous-laser-guided-turret-takes-aim/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/02/autonomous-laser-guided-turret-takes-aim/#comments The homegrown home security options out there just keep getting sweeter and sweeter, as yet another go-getter has conjured up an autonomous turret to hold down the fort while the owners are away buying more capacitors and Fruit by the Foot. The programmable weapon relies on an 8 servo serial controller and a s666n High Torque servo motor, not to mention a good bit of programming to get things in working order. What started out as a curious ambition has now developed into quite a serious project, as the creator is hoping to "develop a weapons platform for the Defcon Bots competition," and judging by what we see here, things are lookin' up. The robotic sentry can apparently take out targets on its own or follow a simple laser to targets and fire away, but alas, what good would a made from scratch robotic piece of artillery be without a video to demonstrate? Click on through to see the firepower.

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Autonomous, laser-guided turret takes aim originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 May 2007 16:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>airsoftautomatedautonomousdefcondefensegunhome securityHomeSecuritylaserlaser-guidedmotorpololuservoturretvideoweaponweaponryWed, 02 May 2007 16:26:00 EST<![CDATA[DARPA's C-Sniper program to detect, neutralize enemy snipers]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/29/darpas-c-sniper-program-to-detect-neutralize-enemy-snipers/http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/29/darpas-c-sniper-program-to-detect-neutralize-enemy-snipers/http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/29/darpas-c-sniper-program-to-detect-neutralize-enemy-snipers/#commentsDefense institutions have been attempting to find the secret of detecting snipers before they strike for a good while now, but DARPA's latest initiative seeks to not only pick up on enemy snipers before they attack, but to "neutralize" 'em while we're at it. More specifically, the "objectives of the C-Sniper program are to develop a system and supporting technologies for the detection and neutralization of enemy snipers before they can engage US Forces," and while plans for the installation are still foggy, officials are hoping to create a system that "operates day and night from a moving vehicle, and can provide the operator with sufficient information to make an engagement decision" in due time. Of course, once detection is made, the choice to react will still be left up to a human (at least for now, anyway), and there's even hints of utilizing lasers so long as operators are kept safe from their blinding ways. Per usual on DARPA-headed projects, there's no set timetable as to when our boys will be geared up with sniper-sniping technology, but we'd love to get this stuff into the latest first-person shooters as soon as feasibly possible.

[Via Wired, image courtesy of PLIG]

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DARPA's C-Sniper program to detect, neutralize enemy snipers originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Apr 2007 05:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>armybattleC-SniperdarpadefensedetectionenemygovernmentlasermilitaryneutralizationsnipersniperswarweaponweaponryweaponsSun, 29 Apr 2007 05:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Ionatron building laser guided energy weapons for US Navy]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/26/ionatron-building-laser-guided-energy-weapons-for-us-navy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/26/ionatron-building-laser-guided-energy-weapons-for-us-navy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/26/ionatron-building-laser-guided-energy-weapons-for-us-navy/#commentsApparently, the the artillery development budget for the US Navy is bursting at the seams, as the branch is complimenting the myriad of other dazzling weapons that it's collaboratively developing with a LGE-based rendition from Ionatron. The company, which focuses on developing "directed energy weapons," has recently landed a contract just shy of $10 million in order to "fund the development of an advanced Ultra Short Pulse Laser, physics modeling related to laser guided energy requirements, a transportable demonstrator, and effects testing." The firm's website compares its devices to that of "man-made lightning," useful in disabling "people or vehicles that threaten our security." Moreover, it was noted that both lethal and non-lethal versions are available, but we've no idea when this literal lightning in a bottle will end up hitting the test floor (or some poor sap's torso) in Los Alamos.

[Via El Reg]

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Ionatron building laser guided energy weapons for US Navy originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2007 06:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artillerycontractordefenseIllinoisIonatronlaserLaser Guided EnergyLaserGuidedEnergylgemilitarynavyresearchUltra Short Pulse LaserUltraShortPulseLaseruniversityususaweaponweaponryweaponsweapons contractWeaponsContractThu, 26 Apr 2007 06:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Solid state laser sustains 67-kilowatts, approaching battlefield status]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/26/solid-state-laser-sustains-67-kilowatts-approaching-battlefield/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/26/solid-state-laser-sustains-67-kilowatts-approaching-battlefield/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/26/solid-state-laser-sustains-67-kilowatts-approaching-battlefield/#commentsWe know what you're thinking: when you've got eight-Megajoule railguns, aircraft-mounted tactical lasers, and xenon-based paralysis inducers, what good is a feeble solid state laser blaster? Presumably hoping to see a Star Wars-esque warzone in the not too distant future, a team of researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California have crafted a Solid State Heat Capacity Laser (SSHCL) that can sustain 67-kilowatts of average power in testing, besting their previous record of just 45-kilowatts. Chemically powered lasers, on the other hand, have been able to achieve megawatts of power for some time now, but the solid state variety is much less burdensome and could be used on the battlefield without a constant source of chemical fuel flanking the soldier's belt. The SSHCL is said to generate a "pulsed beam which fires 200 times a second at a wavelength of one micron," and the "magic 100-kilowatt mark" that would enable it to become a satisfactory weapon could purportedly be reached within the year. While we're down with giving our troops crates of real-world rayguns to beam down the baddies, we've got a sneaking suspicion that someone's going to put an eye out while oohing and aahing at the light show these things emit.

[Via Slashdot]

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Solid state laser sustains 67-kilowatts, approaching battlefield status originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Feb 2007 05:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>armyartilerybattlebattlefielddefensekilowattlaserresearchscienceSSHCLusus armyusaUsArmywarweaponweaponryMon, 26 Feb 2007 05:31:00 EST<![CDATA[Boeing's laser-equipped 747-400F ready for testing]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/30/boeings-laser-equipped-747-400f-ready-for-testing/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/30/boeings-laser-equipped-747-400f-ready-for-testing/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/30/boeings-laser-equipped-747-400f-ready-for-testing/#comments It looks like scenes from Independence Day and Star Wars may not be so futuristic after all, especially considering Boeing's recent unveiling of its heavily modified (and laser-equipped) 747-400F. Following the recent "first light" phase on its ATL-packin' C-130H, the "airborne laser (ABL) aircraft" was officially introduced at a ceremony in the firm's integrated defense systems facility in Wichita, and it was announced that all systems were go for "testing." Even the branch's director, General Henry Obering III, threw in a Skywalker reference as he insinuated that the forthcoming plane represented "the forces of good," and unleashing it was akin to "giving the American people their first light saber." Just be careful where you bust that bad boy out, Mr. Obering.

[Via FARK]

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Boeing's laser-equipped 747-400F ready for testing originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Oct 2006 12:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>747ablaircraftairplanearmyattackboeingdefenselasermilitarymissileplanesecurityusweaponMon, 30 Oct 2006 12:27:00 EST