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Information Assimilation with Blimp Drones

nym | 08:37 PM

droneblimp.jpgThe Military, an entity with ernormous ammounts of resources in the business of high tech information gathering, has some interesting technology being deployed. From slashdot today, the Army is simplifying their new Land Warrior technomad suits to use linux among other things. Also along this vain, the Air Force is releasing blimp drones for plotting land through digital cameras, lasers, acoustic sensors and electromagnetic technologies.

Defense Tech reports:

"New Defense Department spending "would include $38.3 million for tethered blimps equipped with digital cameras to spy on guerrillas' movements, more than $30 million for electronic jammers to disrupt their remote-controlled bombs, and $70 million to develop and buy what the letter called other 'rapid-reaction/new solution' technologies."

In addition, the NewScientist reports that:

land-warrior.jpg"The laser system would be used to scan a region thought to harbour an enemy sniper. It would locate the gunman by quickly homing in on tiny particles caught in the ballistic shockwave generated by a shot. "It uses the angles of that shockwave to work backwards to determine the location," [said a DARPA spokesperson]...

Now's the time for land warrior technomads within the wearable and geo community, the technology is here, it's just a matter of putting it to use.

Comments

Remember that scene in Snow Crash where Mr. Mechanized Wheelchair (guy who gave you the quote about augmented bodies being superior) tracks a sniper back by infrared? 5-10 years. And just wait for the first time the semi-autonomous killbots come out.

Posted by: dragoon at October 28, 2003 01:47 AM