Unkillable soldiers | 33 comments (33 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Unkillable soldiers (none / 0)

Another thought - in robot warfare there is an advantage in going after your enemies leadership and command and control systems. At the moment this sort of approach is only available to the most advanced powers. It may become easier for weaker powers in the new era.

The US secret service may be able to protect top national leaders against almost all likely human adversaries. How would they do against a foe who could deploy a lot of disposable assets.

It might be necessary to have an arms race in defensive robots to protect against the attacking ones.

by Gary J on Wed May 3rd, 2006 at 10:48:29 AM EST

Re: Unkillable soldiers (4.00 / 2)

The US secret service may be able to protect top national leaders against almost all likely human adversaries. How would they do against a foe who could deploy a lot of disposable assets.

Suicide bombers anyone? Defence systems are predicated on the assumption that the attacker will want to "win" by preserving its own physical integrity. There is no defence against a suicide attacker.

So what we're going to see is the rich deploying robots and the poor deploying terrorists.

What fun.

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Wed May 3rd, 2006 at 10:51:30 AM EST
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Re: Unkillable soldiers (none / 1)

You can defend against a suicide bomber/robot by detecting/destroying them far enough away from the target. Difficult but not impossible. However the more individual units are attacking the more difficult it becomes. Unfortunately however many you destroy only one has to get through.

by Gary J on Wed May 3rd, 2006 at 10:59:19 AM EST
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Re: Unkillable soldiers (none / 0)

Now what is an easier way of disabling a bunch of computerised machines than using weapons that emit an electromagnetic pulse. Should insure lots of deaths all around the area the robots are in as we turn to Fuel Air Munitions or Nukes to knock them out.

by observer393 on Wed May 3rd, 2006 at 11:10:24 AM EST
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Re: Unkillable soldiers (none / 1)

Careful engineering can harden electronics agaist electromagnetic pulse attacks. The principle is that closed, electrically conducting boxes are impervious at the relevant frequencies (unlike the situation with, say, gamma rays). Data channels in and out can use optical fiber, which is also not affected. Small holes are OK, so cooling air can flow. Electronics outside a box can be made intrinsically hard by avoiding antenna-like wiring and ensuring reasonably voltage-tolerant, (and perhaps also resettable) circuitry. (This is a sketch based on physical principles and recollections of technical articles on the subject.)

Words and ideas I offer here may be used freely and without attribution.

by technopolitical on Wed May 3rd, 2006 at 02:38:20 PM EST
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Re: Unkillable soldiers (4.00 / 2)

The rich will be deploying robots, and the poor will stick to the basics to screw up the robots: sand, water, rats ...

by Alex in Toulouse on Wed May 3rd, 2006 at 11:55:48 AM EST
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Re: Unkillable soldiers (none / 0)

And assassination devices could eventually be made very small, yet mobile and smart. Think insects with ricin-tipped darts. Technologies that enable miniaturization would make an interesting diary, no?

Words and ideas I offer here may be used freely and without attribution.

by technopolitical on Wed May 3rd, 2006 at 05:10:03 PM EST
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Re: Unkillable soldiers (none / 0)

Wasn't there some B-movie based on that premise?

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Wed May 3rd, 2006 at 05:11:14 PM EST
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Re: Unkillable soldiers (none / 1)

You mean that this Sounds like Science Fiction? (He said, using Big Capital Letters.)

Sometimes I think we're living in a C movie, at best.

Words and ideas I offer here may be used freely and without attribution.

by technopolitical on Thu May 4th, 2006 at 01:19:29 AM EST
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Re: Unkillable soldiers (none / 1)

"some B-movie"?
Come on, you made George Lucas cry.

by Number 6 on Thu May 4th, 2006 at 05:01:30 AM EST
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Re: Unkillable soldiers (none / 0)

I believe the movie was Runaway, starring Tom Selleck. Early 80's. I thought it was pretty cool when I was a kid.

by Zwackus on Thu May 4th, 2006 at 08:21:07 AM EST
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Re: Unkillable soldiers (none / 0)