USA New self-guided bullet is nailing targets over a mile away (karma: 5)
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By TexanForever  Comments: 19317, member since Thu Jun 10, 2004On Tue Jan 31, 2012 05:40 PM
Edited by TexanForever (74535) on 2012-01-31 17:42:34
... this could fuck somebody up.
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TECHNOLOGY
THIS NEW SELF-GUIDED BULLET IS NAILING TARGETS OVER A MILE AWAY
Posted on January 31, 2012 at 12:41pm by Guest Post
Editor’s note: This article by Robert Johnson originally appeared on Business Insider.
The possibilities for failure in long-range shooting are as immense as they are mind-numbing. Pitch, yaw, air density, heat, cold, the curve of the earth, and the planet’s rotation on its axis all conspire make shots at half-a-mile miss, on average, by about 30 feet.
Sandia Labs looks like they’ve changed all that with their new self-guided round, which sheds enough convention that it resembles a small missile more than a traditional bullet (via Katie Drummond at Danger Room).
Four-inches long, laser-guided, while sporting fins and a forward center of gravity, Sandia’s bullet has an optical sensor in the nose that guides it to the target, while an eight-bit processor running a proprietary algorithm steers the round as it flies. Sandia expects the new technology to be developed quickly and inexpensively.
Because of the bullet’s diminutive size compared to, say, a full-scale missile, the same flight corrections can be performed dozens of times per second in its Mach 2.1 flight. Sandia’s engineers expect to raise that speed to military requirements using customized gunpowder.
A small light attached to the round charts its path during a nighttime field test at Sandia Labs. (Photo: Sandia Labs)
The following video shows the bullet leaving the barrel of a rifle. The round pitches (wobbles up and down) a lot after firing, but calms the farther it flies—an effect called “going to sleep” by experts. This phenomenon allows the round to achieve greater accuracy the farther it flies; a result that surprised everyone involved.
www.theblaze.com . . .
. 8 Replies to New self-guided bullet is nailing targets over a mile away |
 re: New self-guided bullet is nailing targets over a mile away en>fr fr>en
By lookanlearn Comments: 5587, member since Sun Jun 10, 2007On Tue Jan 31, 2012 05:46 PM
Makes most guns sold to date look a little outdated; like the blunderbuss. |
 re: New self-guided bullet is nailing targets over a mile away en>fr fr>en
By geebart Comments: 7036, member since Fri Jun 16, 2006On Tue Jan 31, 2012 06:34 PM
this should make our impending civil war all the more interesting. |
 re: New self-guided bullet is nailing targets over a mile away en>fr fr>en
By ReBourne Comments: 7547, member since Sat Oct 24, 2009On Tue Jan 31, 2012 06:39 PM
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 re: New self-guided bullet is nailing targets over a mile away en>fr fr>en
By diefrog Comments: 8268, member since Wed Mar 12, 2003On Tue Jan 31, 2012 06:42 PM
So technology is finally catching up to 80s sci fi. But weren't we supposed to have homes full of robots first? |
 re: New self-guided bullet is nailing targets over a mile away en>fr fr>en
By frankthekulak  Comments: 3387, member since Tue Dec 09, 2008On Tue Jan 31, 2012 08:21 PM
So how does it know what the target is? I'd hate to see the lawsuit when some negro yute robba tries to cap a store owner and the bullet swings around and caps his own ass. |
 re: New self-guided bullet is nailing targets over a mile away (karma: 4)
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By VAVD Comments: 2738, member since Wed Nov 25, 2009On Tue Jan 31, 2012 08:39 PM
Can the bullet be programmed to hunt down the smell of cheese, wine, snails, or fois gras? |
 re: New self-guided bullet is nailing targets over a mile away (karma: 1)
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By Bat2 Comments: 2473, member since Wed May 25, 2011On Tue Jan 31, 2012 09:34 PM
VAVD wrote:
Can the bullet be programmed to hunt down the smell of cheese, wine, snails, or fois gras?
It is in the works. They do, however, have an optional mime detector and tracker for the bullet. |
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 re: New self-guided bullet is nailing targets over a mile away (karma: 1)
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By bigvern Comments: 7270, member since Sun Jul 24, 2005On Wed Feb 01, 2012 07:21 AM
I´m glad someone finally shrunk a Hellfire . |
