Israel has just unveiled its newest way of “defending itself” that would “reduce the risk to it’s forces [IDF].” It’s called the VIPeR, and no, despite the spelling, it’s not a warez team. It’s an autonomous hand-to-hand fighting machine, that has an onboard Uzi submachine gun and grenade storage. It’s supposed to be able to enter combat zones on its own, and engage enemy fighters. According to its manufacturer, Elbit Systems, it’ll be used to move “undeterred by stairs, rubble, dark alleys, caves or narrow tunnels.” It has an onboard camera that lets it aim, and a hell of a lot of ammo in case it misses.
That’s rather scary. A robot – that can fight, kill, & plant bombs – all indiscrimanetly of course. The last time we checked, AI wasn’t in production yet, so we highly doubt the “VIPeR” can tell the difference between civillian and “guerilla fighter.”
If it’s an indiscrimate killing machine, remotely deployed to “combat zones,” it’s going to kill all the wrong people. If you’ve ever been to Lebanon or Palestine, you’d realize just why this is such a ridiculous deception: there are no “combat zones,” just combatants amongst civillians. All of them are next-door-neighbors, fathers, brothers, children. They’re not fighting against an army, they’re fighting against armed citizens and rebels. There’s a big difference.
The “heat ray” is mounted on a Humvee or other vehicle, and has a range of up to 500 meters – which is 1,650 feet or one-third of a mile – that’s a long way.