Robotic Cannon Loses Control, Kills 9 580
TJ_Phazerhacki writes "A new high tech weapon system demonstrated one of the prime concerns circling smarter and smarter methods of defense last week — an Oerlikon GDF-005 cannon went wildly out of control during live fire test exercises in South Africa, killing 9. Scarily enough, this is far from the first instance of a smart weapon 'turning' on its handlers. 'Electronics engineer and defence company CEO Richard Young says he can't believe the incident was purely a mechanical fault. He says his company, C2I2, in the mid 1990s, was involved in two air defence artillery upgrade programmes, dubbed Projects Catchy and Dart. During the shooting trials at Armscor's Alkantpan shooting range, "I personally saw a gun go out of control several times," Young says. "They made a temporary rig consisting of two steel poles on each side of the weapon, with a rope in between to keep the weapon from swinging. The weapon eventually knocked the pol[e]s down."' The biggest concern seems to be finding the glitches in the system instead of reconsidering automated arms altogether."
ED-209 not available for comment (Score:5, Funny)
To be fair, it did give them 30 seconds to comply.
ED-209 (Score:5, Funny)
I seem to recall seeing a documentary about this about 20 years ago. Ahh, here it is. [imdb.com]
Finally (Score:5, Funny)
BSOD. literally (Score:5, Funny)
This gives new meaning to the phrase "Blue screen of death".
you're the godwinner (Score:4, Funny)
You know who else [wikipedia.org] went around knocking down Poles... That's right.
That's why.. (Score:5, Funny)
SkyNet (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Three Laws of Robotics (Score:5, Funny)
Re:ED-209 not available for comment (Score:5, Funny)
Unfortunately, the editors may not have approved of my comments linking Bill Joy's "Cassandra" predictions of killer robots, with the pledge to remove the Roomba from my home - and idle speculation about the possible involvement of Windows XP in this incident...
Re:No pun intended (Score:5, Funny)
I told you before... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:That's why.. (Score:4, Funny)
"A sad day for robot history. But hey! We can always build more killbots!"
FTA: (Score:4, Funny)
"software engineers find that a goto statement was the cause of the recent military disaster. Experts say while this was a terrible tragedy, it could have been much worse [xkcd.com]."
I, for one. . . (Score:5, Funny)
Re:BSOD. literally (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Fuck You, Slashdot (Score:1, Funny)
BUSINESS PROPOSAL (Score:5, Funny)
It is my humble pleasure to write this letter irrespective of the fact that you do not know me. However, I came to know of you in my private search for a reliable and trustworthy person that can handle a confidential transaction of this nature in respect to our investment plans in real estate. Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that all will be well at the end of the day. Let me start by first, introducing myself properly to you. I am Peter Okoye, a Branch Manager at one of the standard trust bank in South Africa. A foreigner, Late Nicholas Owen, a Civil engineer/Contractor with the federal Government of South Africa, until his death three years ago in a ghastly automated robot accident, banked with us here at the standard bank South Africa. He had a closing balance of USD$25.5M (Twenty five Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) which the bank now unquestionably expects to be claimed by any of his available foreign next of kin. Or,alternatively be donated to a discredited trust fund for arms and ammunition at a military war college here in South Africa. Fervent valuable efforts made by the standard trust bank to get in touch with any of late Nicholas Owen_s next of kin (he had no wife and children)has been unsuccessful. The management under the influence of our chairman and board of directors, are making arrangement for the fund to be declared UNCLAIMABLE and then be subsequently donated to the trust fund for Arms and Ammunition which will further enhance the course of war in Africa and the world in general. In order to avert this negative development. Myself and some of my trusted colleagues in the bank, now seek for your permission to have you stand as late Nicholas Owen_s next of kin. So that the fund (USD$25.5M), would be subsequently transferred and paid into your bank account as the beneficiary next of kin through our overseas corresponding bank. All documents and proves to enable you get this fund have been carefully worked out and we are assuring you a 100% risk free involvement.
Your share would be 30% of the total amount. While the rest would be for me and my colleagues for purchase of properties in your country through you/your Company. If this proposal is OK by you, then kindly get to me immediately via my e-mail (pokoye_mg@mail.com) furnishing me with your most confidential telephone and fax , so I can forward to you the relevant details of this tran! saction. Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation.
Best Regards.
Peter Okoye
Branch Manager,
STANDARD TRUST BANK SOUTH AFRICA
Re:Two words: Deadman switch (Score:3, Funny)
My dear Mr. Watson, there was a provision. The problem was the confusion between programming for MS-DOS versus Unix.
The clues have told us exactly what happened. From "Robotic Cannon Kills 9", we see clearly the command kill -9 was issued but the weapon was DOS based and did its job all too well.
Welcom (Score:2, Funny)
Re:No pun intended (Score:4, Funny)
You call this a glitch? (Score:4, Funny)
You call this a glitch? We're scheduled to begin construction in 6 months. Your temporary setback could cost us 50 million dollars in interest payments alone!
-Stor
Re:Two words: Deadman switch (Score:4, Funny)
Re:ED-209 not available for comment (Score:5, Funny)
En-gag-ing.... (Score:5, Funny)
KILL ALL HUMANS (Score:4, Funny)
-Bender
too soon?
Re:Three Laws of Robotics (Score:2, Funny)
Co-worker: Whoa. Dude. Read that guy's comment.
Me: Whut?
Co-worker: We now live in a society where "death by robot" is so commonplace that there are cliches about it. And the cliches are so trite that people actually complain about them.
Me: Whoa. Far out.
Co-worker: Another thing checked off the childhood wish list?
Me: "Robot world." Check.
Re:I, For One, Welcome Our... (Score:5, Funny)
A matter of Identity... (Score:4, Funny)
In point of fact the gun worked perfectly, it was just ill advised to use the "Dick Cheney" AI personality for live testing.
-And low, the lawyers ran like rabbits... and it was a good thing...
Re:ED-209 not available for comment (Score:1, Funny)
Error C2303: Expected -- Predicate Nominative
*You have been shot by the Robotic Grammar Cannon*
Re:Two words: Deadman switch (Score:1, Funny)
Re:ED-209 not available for comment (Score:5, Funny)
Re:No pun intended (Score:4, Funny)
I personally (Score:2, Funny)
Re:ED-209 not available for comment (Score:5, Funny)
Come to Australia then.
I've been a volunteer ambulance officer for decades, and I've seen people keep their sense of humour in the most horrific circumstances.
Went to a car rollover once. The driver had been seriously injured and trapped inside the inverted vehicle. He'd been there for almost an hour before anyone had found him (this was remote WA), and it took another half an hour to cut him out. We put him in the stretcher while the ambulance was reversing to us. As we moved towards the ambulance, he looked at the back wheel of his trashed car and said "Anyone got a shifter? I wouldn't mind adjusting the brakes now I can get to 'em easy."
Re:ED-209 not available for comment (Score:5, Funny)
Re:ED-209 not available for comment (Score:4, Funny)
I use my giant robot cannon for hunting, you insensitive clod.
Re:KILL ALL HUMANS (Score:4, Funny)
Y'all Missing The Point (Score:4, Funny)
er, statistically speaking, of course.
Re:ED-209 not available for comment (Score:4, Funny)
You see, it's not just a structural failure of the support system for the (at least as far as reported) otherwise working gun, it's a structural failure of the support system for the otherwise working robotic gun. Apparently. I'll admit the difference doesn't seem important to me either, but all comments here have convinced me that adding the word "robot" to any story involving a mechanical failure is grounds for anti-technology panic.
And remember, those doors at the supermarket aren't just automatic, they're... ROBOTIC. OH NOES!!1! THE SUPERMARKET DOORS COULD KILL SOMEONE IF THEIR SUPPORT TRACK FALL OFF THE WALL. WE MUST REMOVE ALL ROBOTS TO SAVE THE CHILDRENS.
Re:Riiight (Score:3, Funny)
You just need a trackball and a good supply of quarters
Gentlemen (Score:3, Funny)
Re:ED-209 not available for comment (Score:3, Funny)
Re:ED-209 not available for comment (Score:3, Funny)
My dog once farted so loudly when asleep that it scared itself awake.
Re:Government coders (Score:1, Funny)
Yes, we do.
Re:ED-209 not available for comment (Score:2, Funny)
All may not be lost, they might post your story tomorrow!