Neural Robotics Incorporated equips AutoCopter with 12-gauge shotgun

We've seen a number of autonomous helicopters in our day, but most of them just fly around showing off their avoidance and maneuvering skills and snapping the occasional photo or vid. Well Neural Robotics Incorporated has just made their AutoCopter minicopter a lot more, um, interesting by adding an AA-12 12-gauge shotgun to the nose of the hovering sentry. Previously, the sub-$100,000 AutoCopter was restricted to such "mundane" tasks as surveillance, mine detection, and escort duty, but made a fun and easy target for enemies to pick off. According to the rather loving write-up by Defense Review, with the addition of heavy firepower, this semi- or fully-autonomous, parachute-equipped copter is now able to "seek out, locate, identify, and destroy/terminate (i.e. kill) the enemy with extreme prejudice at 300 rounds-per-minute." Isn't technology great! You can catch some footage of this little terror in action by following the "Read" link...

[Via Defense Tech]

[Bullseye @ Mar 1st 2006 9:20PM]

Dick Cheney will take three.

[Michael @ Mar 1st 2006 9:26PM]

Do what you will, just don't send me hunting with the vice preseident!

[A Munro @ Mar 1st 2006 9:43PM]

I thought that nothing could beat Steve's "fun, new toys", but I'm glad to see I was wrong.

I use my flying, fully-autonomous robot sentry to guard my parking spot in front of my house, but it's always been bothering me that I couldn't kill anyone with it. Until now.

Now if they just equip it with a penis pump and an iPod Hi-Fi I will truly have the ultimate modern convenience.

[guano @ Mar 1st 2006 9:55PM]

"Drop your weapon. You have 20 seconds to comply."

[John Connor @ Mar 1st 2006 10:01PM]

Looks like it's time to head to Mexico. They should be activating SKYNET any day now.

[Lomein @ Mar 1st 2006 10:03PM]

"Neural Robotics", or "Neurotics" for short.

['Rowdy' Roddy Piper @ Mar 1st 2006 10:07PM]

And who are you little friend? Come to spy on me?

Mama don't like tattletales.

[PMX @ Mar 1st 2006 10:26PM]

"I think you'd better do as he says, Mr. Kinney."

[peng @ Mar 1st 2006 10:29PM]

what's the right use of the machine?

[Scott Johnson @ Mar 1st 2006 10:46PM]

So, um, where can I buy one? :)

[Dave @ Mar 1st 2006 11:15PM]

Rowdy--"They Live" was your best work.

[E71 @ Mar 1st 2006 11:17PM]

Anyone want to buy a kidney?

[bc @ Mar 1st 2006 11:40PM]

#10 funny! ;)

[Linkman2004 @ Mar 1st 2006 11:43PM]

Wish I had one of these so I could pop my little bro in the butt a few times ;)

[Derwin @ Mar 2nd 2006 12:14AM]

I for one welcome our future 12-gauge-weilding, autonomous helicopter overlords.

[Patrick @ Mar 2nd 2006 1:33AM]

If you got killed by that then you are a sissy.

[Theron Burger @ Mar 2nd 2006 1:47AM]

now all you need to do is equip it with 3g phone and a powerfull self destruct explosive and you have the ultimate murder weapon: remote operable and untraceable

[PodMonkeys @ Mar 2nd 2006 8:51AM]

Whats funny is how the weapon is attached. Its just a 12 guage weapon strapped upsidedown to the copter! :D

[David @ Mar 2nd 2006 9:04AM]

Maybe I'm the only gun and gadget geek around here but can somebody explain why in the heck they chose a full auto shotgun?

Short range, ammo weighs a ton, heavy recoil compared to a pistol caliber sub gun.

The only advantage is the "spray" effect.
David

[Rus @ Mar 2nd 2006 9:04AM]

Apparently the inventors just saw Under Seige.

[MikeMontana @ Mar 2nd 2006 9:22AM]

Sounds like the true inspiration came when the developer was a 12 year old kid shooting rats with his BB-gun... Didnt take long to grow into a new hobby (R/C helicopters) and develop the idea along.

[theSAWzall @ Mar 2nd 2006 10:24AM]

Jack Bauer could still shoot it down with a pistol.

http://www.notrly.com/jackbauer/index.php?topsixty
http://bauercount.com/

[Timerider @ Mar 2nd 2006 10:50AM]

Sweet! What the heck does the recoil do to this thing?

Imagine mounting a RPG or TOW missile to this thing. Shoot the helicopter back quite aways. I'd like to see this thing, with that RPG hooked on, to blow up a car. That would be one awesome video.

[Pinkerton @ Mar 2nd 2006 10:51AM]

Finally, something we can haul on a trailer behind our GMC trucks. A GMC truck with remote controlled gun turret, that is. ;P

http://www.ibistek.com/viper_gallery4.php

[Timerider @ Mar 2nd 2006 11:05AM]

Pinkerton,

Thats cool, imagine extending that thing out of the back when some moron is honking at you. He'd see this giant gun turret come out and rotate toward him. "Oh crap..."
Hehehe :)

P.S. That reminds me of this SUV I saw in a magazine. It had multiple LCD screens and joysticks in the back seat and a roof-mounted laser. Thats what I call fun. :)

[kbiel @ Mar 2nd 2006 12:01PM]

So where do I get me a "300 rounds-per-minute" shotgun? A parallel universe?

[James O'Brien @ Mar 2nd 2006 12:06PM]

Uh... having fired a 12 gage many times I can state that the kickback is considerable and that it would totally overwhelm the little copter. I don't believe that this is a serious concept.

[TIMMAH! @ Mar 2nd 2006 1:46PM]

Awww, I was hoping for frickin' lasers...

[DoctorD @ Mar 2nd 2006 2:03PM]

James, you need to watch the video -- it doesn't overwhelm it at all. And you guys out there who are thinking ???why a shotgun??? are thinking that thing you use to hunt with. This is a military shotgun -- they have used them for years and they're not the same thing the civilians get at all, at all. The object here is to spray a room full of baddies with enough lead to take care of them without having to hit them in the head with a single slug.

[Zeus @ Mar 2nd 2006 2:35PM]

Wow, kind of scary but I guess if it helps us win wars and saves the lives of our troops then more power to it.

David, I kind of think that one reason they use a shotgun is because the large pattern probably makes it a lot more forgiving of operater aim, or lack thereof. I'd imagine it might be hard to make accurate shots when aiming via a grainy webcam quality footage. (and that while this little copter is probably getting blown around by every gust of wind)

If I were using this I think a tactic I would try out would be to use the speed of the copter (and relative lack of giving a crap if it gets destroyed) to just do sort of strafing runs at the enemy as fast as possible, pumping shots into them as soon as the copter got within 50 yards. (or whatever was ideal) If they don't want to run for cover and try to shoot at it instead... more power to them.

P.S. Does this thing remind anyone else of Half-life 2 and it's flying bot things? Where the the buzz saw helicopters now?

[E71 @ Mar 2nd 2006 5:42PM]

Hell no, Jack Baur or that Limey klutz Kiefer Sutherland can't do shit except wave a baton like they do in Limeyland.

[bily @ Mar 3rd 2006 4:29AM]

http://komodo.fullvoltage.com/AutoCopter_Gunship.mpg


Link to video incase that one is sloooooooooow

[Justin Bell @ Mar 3rd 2006 6:59AM]

They probably went with an automatic shotgun so they have small hope of actually hitting something with it. Untill I see that thing hit a bullseye 3 times in a row from 100m, I'm going to write it off as nothing more than just goofing around. It isn't even attached to a gimble from what I can tell.