Thoughts on Dallas PD's killer robot.

[Whitebread]

There are no right or wrong answers in questioning this event. What absolutely must happen, is if and when these do become common (and they will one day), each usage and/or kill needs to be reviewed and adjudicated (if necessary), with the same standards that any deadly force by LE is handled. Only dumbasses will all of a sudden try to hold them to a higher standard of ending sieges lethally! We get too caught up with the way we kill people here.

It bewilders me that there are people in this country (not necessarily anyone in this thread), that have a problem with dispatching this scumbag with a R/C unit but have absolutely no issues whatsoever with severing the spine of a 7 or 8 month old fetus in the womb because they can or choose to.

Think about that for minute!

Yep. What kind of world objects to kill dangerious animals weather it be a gun shooting black panther or a collar wearing lion in Africa, but dispatching a child for choosing the wrong woman to grow in is perfectly fine?

I know I have a lot to answer for when my day comes to stand before the lord, but I kind of feel sorry for these people.

 

[Saintsfan6]

ACtually, the robot moving under remote control is a single point of failure issue. Unless it's wired rather than radio-controlled. Think Ethernet security vs WiFI vulnerability.

IF it's radio-controlled, then the frequency could be captured/spoofed/taken over deliberately or jammed/interfered with (deliberately or not). That is one part of my "problem" with using robots to kill civilians.

I certainly don't want autonomous robots running around with kill authorizations in downtown USA.

Mentions of a "blast radius" are also part of the problem. There is an implied assumption, if you accept the robot-delivered bomb, that no innocents will be inside the blast radius 100% of the time. That's a daring assumption.

The chance of innocent death by sniper fire is far less, IMHO.

Sure, and jamming/interference is something I'm sure they are considering/have considered this when deploying bots. Blast radius? I'm sure they took all of this into account long before even arming a robot with explosives. You think in a standoff that they used explosives without considering possible collateral damage? Come on, give them more credit than that. I'm sure this wouldn't be the preferred method in a hostage situation.

 

[Whitebread]

So what keeps the next bad guy from taking cover and shooting the next rooba-bomb before it gets close enough?

 

[Emperor]

So what keeps the next bad guy from taking cover and shooting the next rooba-bomb before it gets close enough?

These!

 

[Vermiform]

So what keeps the next bad guy from taking cover and shooting the next rooba-bomb before it gets close enough?

I think it is called a Roomba-Boomba.

I was actually thinking the same thing. Maybe a 1 trick pony now, or possibly design a faster robot.

Will a pistol round detonate C-4?

 

[Whitebread]

I think it is called a Roomba-Boomba.

I was actually thinking the same thing. Maybe a 1 trick pony now, or possibly design a faster robot.

Will a pistol round detonate C-4?

Faster and quieter.

And I may be wrong but I believe c4 needs an explosion to do anything.

 

[Spleen]

I think it is called a Roomba-Boomba.

I was actually thinking the same thing. Maybe a 1 trick pony now, or possibly design a faster robot.

Will a pistol round detonate C-4?

A pistol round might detonate C-4 if it is on fire.
During the Vietnam conflict, soldiers were using C-4 as fuel to heat their meals.
It will burn safely and not explode if only subjected to flame.
The problem was, when the soldier went to extinguish the fire, stomping it out caused detonation.
Not overly good for the welfare of the soldier's foot...
I do not know if this is accurate but it sounds plausible enough.

 

[John_]

Faster and quieter.

And I may be wrong but I believe c4 needs an explosion to do anything.

C4 needs a shock wave......a blasting cap to detonate it. You cannot "stomp" on it to detonate it. Nor can you burn it to detonate it. Its quite stable really.

 

[John_]

Here, this may be of help to the preppers here.......LOL

"C-4 is very stable and insensitive to most physical shocks. C-4 cannot be detonated by a gunshot or by dropping it onto a hard surface. It does not explode when set on fire or exposed to microwave radiation.[8] Detonation can only be initiated by a combination of extreme heat and a shockwave, such as when a detonator inserted into it is fired.[4] When detonated, C-4 rapidly decomposes to release nitrogen and carbon oxides as well as other gasses.[4] The gasses expand at an explosive velocity of 8,092 m/s (26,550 ft/s).[9]

A major advantage of C-4 is that it can easily be moulded into any desired shape to change the direction of the resulting explosion."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C-4_(explosive)

 

[Spleen]

Here, this may be of help to the preppers here.......LOL

"C-4 is very stable and insensitive to most physical shocks. C-4 cannot be detonated by a gunshot or by dropping it onto a hard surface. It does not explode when set on fire or exposed to microwave radiation.[8] Detonation can only be initiated by a combination of extreme heat and a shockwave, such as when a detonator inserted into it is fired.[4] When detonated, C-4 rapidly decomposes to release nitrogen and carbon oxides as well as other gasses.[4] The gasses expand at an explosive velocity of 8,092 m/s (26,550 ft/s).[9]

A major advantage of C-4 is that it can easily be moulded into any desired shape to change the direction of the resulting explosion."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C-4_(explosive)

Well done sir, I stand corrected.

 

[JoeLiberty]

Jeez. For all the people on this forum nervous about someone coming for your guns and not wanting a gun registry, y'all seem to have a lot of faith in the government today.

 

[bigtattoo79]

Jeez. For all the people on this forum nervous about someone coming for your guns and not wanting a gun registry, y'all seem to have a lot of faith in the government today.

lol It really is driving you crazy isn't it?

 

[Emperor]

lol It really is driving you crazy isn't it?

Ha! He need not worry unless someone like me pronounces the dumbass as being the most transparent pretend president in history!

 

[drmweaver2]

You think in a standoff that they used explosives without considering possible collateral damage? Come on, give them more credit than that. I'm sure this wouldn't be the preferred method in a hostage situation.

That's exactly my concern - that they DON'T/WON'T consider everything and will just decide to send the robot in "robotically" because it's easiest.

No, I don't have lots of faith in the leadership of authority - look where it's gotten us on a national and international political scale - Clinton, Obama and Merkel!!! I'm a product of the 60's and 70's. Then I spent most of my military career wondering why I was really being sent where I was sent - because I was certain that the pol's were speaking out of both sides of their mouths.

In the case of local authority figures, shrug. I have even less confidence in their ability and/or to actually do their jobs. I think they are usually too concerned with getting re-elected.

But I digress.... Robot-bomb-delivery devices? Sorry, as I said before - no warm and fuzzy feeling there. Snipers? No problem - as many shots and shooters as it takes. I'll even donate $5 for the bad guy's pine box.

 

[JHenley17]

So what keeps the next bad guy from taking cover and shooting the next rooba-bomb before it gets close enough?

Don't you play video games? Give my nephew a Traxxas EMaxx with a camera on top and the bad guy will be gone in 10 seconds.

 

[JoeLiberty]

That's exactly my concern - that they DON'T/WON'T consider everything and will just decide to send the robot in "robotically" because it's easiest.

^This right here... only I'd say WON'T/CAN'T. Roomba boomba first and ask questions later, right?

lol It really is driving you crazy isn't it?

haha yeah I guess. Honestly I'm on the fence about it (I just like playing devil's advocate) but thought there'd be a better balance in here from those who would be nervous about what people in power are going to do with this new tool. Seems it's inevitable though. It's really hard to argue against saving police lives with 'this seems kinda scary and unnerving'. Certainly any new tech has applications where it is appropriate and some where it isn't. If this is the future I'd like to know more about where that line is and see it clearly delineated so we know what to expect. That's all.

 

[John_]

Don't you play video games? Give my nephew a Traxxas EMaxx with a camera on top and the bad guy will be gone in 10 seconds.

That was some of my first thoughts. No need for expensive robots and chit, an electric Traxxas, a mini video camera, a radio controlled switch, and some C4, and your in business. Drive up behind an blow his azz to hell! Stick some nice shiny 3/8" ball bearings in the C4 shape charge for good measure

 

[Spleen]

That was some of my first thoughts. No need for expensive robots and chit, an electric Traxxas, a mini video camera, a radio controlled switch, and some C4, and your in business. Drive up behind an blow his azz to hell! Stick some nice shiny 3/8" ball bearings in the C4 shape charge for good measure

Yup.
Slippery slope.

 

[Vermiform]

^This right here... only I'd say WON'T/CAN'T. Roomba boomba first and ask questions later, right?

When you hear the phrase "Roomba-Boomba™" on the news, just remember that Whitebread and I coined the term first here on the derp.

 

[ta2d_cop]

ACtually, the robot moving under remote control is a single point of failure issue. Unless it's wired rather than radio-controlled. Think Ethernet security vs WiFI vulnerability.

IF it's radio-controlled, then the frequency could be captured/spoofed/taken over deliberately or jammed/interfered with (deliberately or not). That is one part of my "problem" with using robots to kill civilians.

I certainly don't want autonomous robots running around with kill authorizations in downtown USA.

Mentions of a "blast radius" are also part of the problem. There is an implied assumption, if you accept the robot-delivered bomb, that no innocents will be inside the blast radius 100% of the time. That's a daring assumption.

The chance of innocent death by sniper fire is far less, IMHO.

Been a few years since I've played with one, but I believe they are controlled by shielded direct wire as RF could possibly trigger a device