freespirit
6th February 2012, 06:48 PM
try to get your head around this one folks...self correcting up to 30 times/sec to keep on target...and in 50 cal no less!
http://sync.sympatico.ca/news/us_engineers_create_self-guided_bullet/b642bd2e
from the article...
US engineers create 'self-guided' bullet
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Engineers in the U.S. have invented a bullet that directs itself to a target like a tiny guided missile and can hit a target more than a mile (1.6 kilometres) away, a lab announced Tuesday,
According to Sandia National Laboratories engineers, the bullet twists and turns to guide itself toward a laser-directed point. It can make up to thirty corrections per second while in the air, officials said.
Sandia technical staff member Jim Jones said he thinks the .50-calibre bullets would work well with military machine-guns, so soldiers could hit their mark faster and with precision.
"We've tested gunpowders to see if we can get muzzle velocity for military interest," Jones told KRQE-TV.
Testing has shown the bullet can reach speeds of 2,400 feet (730 metres) per second. Researchers said they were confident the bullet could reach standard military speeds using customized gunpowder.
Computer simulations showed an unguided bullet under real-world conditions could miss a target more than a half-mile (.8 kilometres) away. But according to the patent, a guided bullet would get within eight inches (20 centimetres).
Sandia Labs said the design for the bullet includes an optical sensor in the nose to detect a laser beam on a target. The sensor sends information to guidance and control electronics that command electromagnetic actuators. These actuators steer tiny fins that guide the bullet to the target.
Sandia Labs is seeking a private company partner to complete testing of the prototype and bring a guided bullet to the marketplace. Research and development grants have taken the project this far.
Sandia Labs said potential customers for the bullet could include the military, law enforcement and recreational shooters.
--yeah, like they're gonna give us access to those bad boys...lol
i don't like the idea of having to keep a laser spot on the target for the sensor to track it, seems iffy to me, but i imagine it won't be long before they can create a bullet that has facial recognition capabilities...this just looks like a step or two prior...
--and what would something like this cost?? smart rounds that use custom powder in .50 cal?? i'm thinking maybe $15-$20 a pop?
--any thoughts?
http://sync.sympatico.ca/news/us_engineers_create_self-guided_bullet/b642bd2e
from the article...
US engineers create 'self-guided' bullet
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Engineers in the U.S. have invented a bullet that directs itself to a target like a tiny guided missile and can hit a target more than a mile (1.6 kilometres) away, a lab announced Tuesday,
According to Sandia National Laboratories engineers, the bullet twists and turns to guide itself toward a laser-directed point. It can make up to thirty corrections per second while in the air, officials said.
Sandia technical staff member Jim Jones said he thinks the .50-calibre bullets would work well with military machine-guns, so soldiers could hit their mark faster and with precision.
"We've tested gunpowders to see if we can get muzzle velocity for military interest," Jones told KRQE-TV.
Testing has shown the bullet can reach speeds of 2,400 feet (730 metres) per second. Researchers said they were confident the bullet could reach standard military speeds using customized gunpowder.
Computer simulations showed an unguided bullet under real-world conditions could miss a target more than a half-mile (.8 kilometres) away. But according to the patent, a guided bullet would get within eight inches (20 centimetres).
Sandia Labs said the design for the bullet includes an optical sensor in the nose to detect a laser beam on a target. The sensor sends information to guidance and control electronics that command electromagnetic actuators. These actuators steer tiny fins that guide the bullet to the target.
Sandia Labs is seeking a private company partner to complete testing of the prototype and bring a guided bullet to the marketplace. Research and development grants have taken the project this far.
Sandia Labs said potential customers for the bullet could include the military, law enforcement and recreational shooters.
--yeah, like they're gonna give us access to those bad boys...lol
i don't like the idea of having to keep a laser spot on the target for the sensor to track it, seems iffy to me, but i imagine it won't be long before they can create a bullet that has facial recognition capabilities...this just looks like a step or two prior...
--and what would something like this cost?? smart rounds that use custom powder in .50 cal?? i'm thinking maybe $15-$20 a pop?
--any thoughts?