Establishing a beachhead on enemy-held turf is historically one of the most dangerous jobs in warfare, just ask Achilles. But the robotic age may make it slightly less so. A research team from Stamford, Conn. has developed an amphibious drone that they are currently testing with the Marines. The GuardBot is a robot ball that swims over water at about 4 miles per hour and then rolls along the beach, at as much as a 30-degree incline and 20 miles per hour. It uses a nine-axis stabilization, pendulum motion propulsion system, which moves the bot forward by shifting the center of gravity back and forth and a variety of steering algorithms. In January 2014, they tested it at the Naval Amphibious Base in Little Creek, Va., where the GuardBot successfully deployed from and returned to a naval craft. Today, the machine is remotely operated over a 2-8 GHz datalink. Muhlrad designed the system primarily for surveillance and object inspection. Its capable of 360 degree turns so its somewhat more maneuverable than other ground robots. In tests with Smith Detections raman laser spectroscope in the payload (the two small transparent half-spheres on the side of the bot) it was able to detect explosive chemicals from about 2 inches away. No, unlike a one-armed PackBot, it clearly wont be disabling explosives. And it wont replace special operations teams, but it could accompany them on dangerous missions. When Defense One asked if the GuardBot could carry explosives rather than detection or camera equipment, Muhlrad answered simply: Yes......snip~ http://www.defenseone.com/technolog...ing-robotic-war-balls/105258/?oref=d-dontmiss [video=youtube;v6IZTY4__Sc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6IZTY4__Sc[/video] So what do you think of this drone? It can be weaponized. What say ye?
Seems like a flying drone would be much more affective if all this thing is going to do is surveillance.
No one said they wouldn't use Flying drones. Of course when being in the water. These are good in alerting to explosives under water.
I've been wanting to shoot down a drone for some time. But every time someone flies their drone around my home, by the time I load my shot gun the drone is out of range.
It didn't take me long to come up with a counter GuardBot weapon to defeat the Spherical Amphibious Robotic Vehicle System, SPIKE STRIPS
Got any Guardbots for a Future ex wife? I just need something to let me know when that chemical imbalance is about to take place.
Sure, but something that odd could draw attention to the fact there are SEALS in the water off your shores. It isn't like they are inconspicuous. They should design them to look like turtles or something.
Hang chocolate bars from the trees so they hang 2 feet higher than she is....or anything pumpkin flavored.
The Germans had something like that in WW2 called 'Goliath', a miniature remote-controlled tank that carried a demolition charge- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goliath_tracked_mine
I love eating turtles. Turtles have 7 different kinds of meat comparable to pork, chicken, beef, shrimp, veal, fish and goat.
I noticed watching the video that the guardbot is some what wobbly. Looking at the guy who developed the guardbot he looks kinda young post baby boomer. There was something every pre-teen baby boomer found under the Christmas tree or on his birthday besides a Daist RedRyder BB gun, a gyroscope. I think the gurdbot needs a gyroscope. -> http://science.howstuffworks.com/gyroscope.htm
- Payload is very small. There is no platform that could carry less for the same power used. - Run time is extremely small. The gyros and changing the center of mass method is extremely inefficient propulsion method in terms of power usage (Helicopter does not only change the mass center it also throws the air back when it lowers the nose). - Stability is awful. It is not OK for a gun when running, it is not OK standing still. - Rough terrain navigation could be OK, but for an extreme! cost in power, in payload, heat management. - Access to payload is terrible. - Stuffing it with c4 is kind of ridiculous due to very small payload comparing to a wheeled or tracked drone. Or to a Tomahawk - Why the hell the Seals would want it? Every time some amphibious stupidity is invented (with no apparent application), people stare at it for 10 minutes trying to think up a method to make it useful, than they stare at each other, then they whisper - the Seals might want it What for? Why?
They would have to do some serious reconfiguring before it could actually be used in Combat. Traveling only 4 mph towards shore would make them extremely vulnerable to attacks from land, sea and air. Further, they would have to find a way to waterproof the guns, while still having the ability to fire while still on water. I really doubt that they would be maneuverable enough to be effective. Especially moving at only 20 mph on land. Seems to me to be a total waste of money.
Been done 76 years ago http://historicaltimes.tumblr.com/post/108193673730/an-experimental-torpedo-boat-performs-test-runs
