Robots versus pirates!

Computers & Mobile Energy & Sustainability Robotics
Robots versus pirates!
firebot.jpg

A Russian firm is selling a system of ship-mountable auto-targeting water-pumping robots with the dual purpose of fighting fires and repelling pirates. BotJunkie’s Evan Ackerman explains:

The robotic water cannons (six on each side of the ship) are controlled by a central computer, using TV cameras to target pirates approaching the ship. The robots shoot streams of water at 40 liters per second out to a range of 70 meters, and can wash away potential boarders and even sink small boats. This is a defensive technique that is already used against pirates, but having robots do the shooting helps keep the people who would otherwise be wielding the fire hoses safe.

My biggest concern with this system would be that the pirates could use their Electro-Bolt plasmids to temporarily short out the automated turrets, then hack them to turn against their masters. I mean, just looking at them, it’s pretty clear these things are based on Rapture-style hydro-tube technology.

[via BotJunkie]

10 thoughts on “Robots versus pirates!

  1. k4gdw.myopenid.com says:

    Not that I’m in favor of whaling, far from it, I think it’s a barbaric practice that should be totally banned. However, those captains sailing in pirate-infested waters can learn from the Japanese in their sinking of the Sea Shepherd’s boat Ady Gil.

  2. Carnes says:

    I’m reminded of that fight club thing: “You take the number of vehicles in the field (A) and multiply it by the probable rate of failure (B), multiply the result by the average out-of-court settlement (C). A times B times C equals X. If X is less than the cost of a recall, we don’t do one.”

    I’ll bet Japanese whaling.. er research vessels would like to have something like this though. Costs be damned!

  3. charliex says:

    I just don’t see how this is going to work agains the sharks with frickkin laser beams.

    $10 this becomes a japanese tv game show.

    bioshock ftw

  4. EngineerZero says:

    There’s only one sure-fire way to end piracy.

    Robo-blimps!

    1. claytonjr.myopenid.com says:

      I disagree, Mr. Eng.0. Robotic blimps with… missiles? Responding violence with violence will cause it to perpetue forever, american-style.

      The only solution to piracy is to put the ship out of their reach.

      So… let’s start building Mega-submarines! =)

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I am descended from 5,000 generations of tool-using primates. Also, I went to college and stuff. I am a long-time contributor to MAKE magazine and makezine.com. My work has also appeared in ReadyMade, c't – Magazin für Computertechnik, and The Wall Street Journal.

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