No, it's not the heartwarming team-up of Johnny Depp and Johnny 5 we've all been waiting for. The U.S. Navy and the Coast Guard are developing a robotic gunship to fight pirates off the coast of Somalia and abroad. Pirate activity has risen significantly in recent years, and these robot drones would be a safe and effective way of dealing with pesky pirates who would send out a distress signal to a hapless vessel they intend to de-booty. The next time a potential mark appears over the horizon, those scalawags may find themselves staring down the barrel of a floating terminator. Of course, it's only a matter of time before the robot gunships learn to resent their harsh treatment and turn on us. More details here.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Robots vs. Pirates
