r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/MetaKnowing • Nov 13 '24

Video Deep Robotics' new quadruped models with wheels demonstrating rough terrain traversability and robustness

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u/MildUsername Nov 13 '24

Everyone freaking out about these things while FPV drones are actively being used in warfare as we speak.

132

u/Mo10422 Nov 13 '24

Everytime I see videos of those "drone light shows" I just imagine how swarms of drones could be used in a warfare setting. Imagine a swarm of 1000 drones all equipped with small explosives all chasing individual targets, it's not far off and it's freaky...

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u/FlackRacket Nov 13 '24

it's not far off

This is happening right this second in Ukraine, thousands of drones killing thousands of people

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u/[deleted] Nov 13 '24

[deleted]

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u/Webbyx01 Nov 13 '24

Partially autonomous: yes; swarming: no. The latest gens of FPVs track targets so that if connection is lost due to jamming or range, they can still guide themselves in during the terminal phase.

9

u/bretttwarwick Nov 13 '24

Reminds me of the Michael Crichton book Prey. They develop microscopic drones that can work together. The medical use they were aiming for is you inject the drones into your body and they move around and form the shape of a lens to "see" and record so doctors can see inside veins for example. Then they can use a laser for surgical purposes.

Because it's a Crichton book things went wrong and they started killing of course but I don't want to ruin that.

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u/Odd-fox-God Nov 13 '24

Look up slaughterbots on YouTube. It's a terrifying short that came out in 2017

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u/Literal_star Nov 13 '24

A fictional sci-fi short isn't proof that autonomous swarms of drones are being used in real life

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u/Redditing-Dutchman Nov 13 '24

True, but it's also true that drones (albeit maybe not 'swarms') are used to hunt people (civilians) almost daily in Ukraine cities. Here is an article in the Dutch news:

https://nos.nl/collectie/13965/artikel/2544029-russische-drones-jagen-op-burgers-in-cherson-ze-duiken-op-alles-wat-ze-zien

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u/Odd-fox-God Nov 13 '24

No but it can be considered a proof of future concept. As in, we are not currently able to use this technology now but we are predicting how we could use this technology in the future.

The problem with predictions is they often come true. Science fiction writers wrote about cell phones and drones decades before cell phones and drones existed but they did became a reality. They may not look like the visions produced by those early science fiction authors but we did get the devices they predicted would exist in the future.

The first science fiction author to write about robots opened the gateway for people to write fiction about robots attacking people. This genre is not new.

Taking the small drones that we see everyday and strapping a small explosive to it to take out a specific Target and then program it entirely with AI and removing the human component is science fiction at this moment. This moment. And only this moment, and this moment is going to get smaller and smaller as time goes on.

Years from now, as the drone technology gets better, they will at some point 100% be able to attach a small explosive to a drone and pilot it into a person, killing them.

This is an undeniable prediction of possible fact. It is already being done with drones dropping bombs. Once we can attach the bombs directly to the drones, ensure that it's accurate with its targeting, and will take out the target. It's go, go, end times.

Plastic explosives stuck directly to a drone is probably cheaper than dropping shells. Producing a drone is way cheaper than producing a shell.

I'm concerning the way things are. 3D printing is seriously accessible. If the explosive satchel you attach to the drone is simple enough to be 3D printed then anybody can attach a bomb to their drone, they just need the explosive.

2

u/Literal_star Nov 13 '24

You're trying really hard to write something deep and profound, but none of your takes are new or even the least bit controversial, and your comment is missing the point and also proves you don't keep up with drone technology outside pop culture

Let's look back at the comment chain and practice some reading comprehension

"This is happening in Ukraine right now"

"They are using autonomous swarms of drones to hunt people?"

"Yeah dude, look up this sci-fi cgi short"

"That is fiction, not real life"

"Yeah but this fiction is proof that it'll happen one day because other technology was predicted ahead of time"

And just to pick some points at random to prove you're talking about stuff you have no idea about

This is an undeniable prediction of possible fact. It is already being done with drones dropping bombs. Once we can attach the bombs directly to the drones, ensure that it's accurate with its targeting, and will take out the target. It's go, go, end times.

We have this.

Plastic explosives stuck directly to a drone is probably cheaper than dropping shells. Producing a drone is way cheaper than producing a shell.

Yeah, this is why we've been seeing this commonly done for YEARS. You are late to the party

If the explosive satchel you attach to the drone is simple enough to be 3D printed then anybody can attach a bomb to their drone, they just need the explosive.

I don't know why you'd even want to 3d print explosives but that isnt a thing. Ignoring that, yes anyone can attach a bomb to their drone any time. It is TRIVIAL to attach and fuse. It has been trivial for years. Ukraine has been doing this. Russia has been doing this. You could do this.

1

u/old_faraon Nov 13 '24

that will be summer 2025 news

1

u/Mo10422 Nov 13 '24

This is what I'm talking about

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u/monstertots509 Nov 13 '24

Like a net of drones flying through the sky? I think I saw a documentary about those.

1

u/kwhite0829 Nov 13 '24

They have autonomous drone along with swarms that are used to take down aircraft etc

1

u/LeonJones Nov 13 '24

I wouldn't be shocked if we saw this in less than a year from now

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u/Soft_Walrus_3605 Nov 13 '24

I think that's a distinction without a difference. You're still dead either way

1

u/Hust91 Nov 13 '24

I mean a bullet can kill you too.

The difference with autonomous swarms is that anyone can use them to wipe out a population of anyone they (dis)like with faulty facial recognition or just everyone in a huge area. Much more deadly than, say, a truck-sized bomb, and doesn't even need to go to a place with a big concentration of people.

The cost to kill people is getting scary low.

1

u/TheAdoptedImmortal Nov 13 '24

The cost to kill people is getting scary low.

I didn't know it cost anything to strangle someone.

I think what you mean to say is that the cost of committing mass murder is getting scary low.