Robots Guarding US Nuclear Stockpiles In Nevada 128
kkleiner writes "The US National Nuclear Security Administration recently announced that it has started using autonomous robot vehicles to patrol the vast desert surrounding its Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). The 1360+ square miles of territory is home to millions of tons of low grade nuclear waste, as well as Cold War Era nuclear weapons, and cutting edge nuclear testing research. Guarding those precious nuclear materials is the Mobile Detection Assessment Response System (MDARS) robot, which is essentially a camera on a mini-Hummer. The MDARS can roam and scout the desert on its own, alerting a remote operator when it encounters something that shouldn't be there."
What could possibly go wrong? (Score:4, Funny)
I mean they are robots, guarding nuclear weapons....
Things that shouldn't be there (Score:5, Funny)
People
Large Animals
Vehicles
John Connor
Other Robots
Re:What could possibly go wrong? (Score:3, Funny)
I mean they are robots, guarding nuclear weapons....
Robots who are angry that 'MDARS' is the best acronym that the brain trust could come up with.
In Soviet Russia... (Score:1, Funny)
Nukes guard robots!
Re:What could possibly go wrong? (Score:5, Funny)
How about... Mobile Unmanned Robotic Detection Assessment Response System (MURDARS)?
Re:What happens north of New Vegas... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Automated robots (Score:5, Funny)
The Kärcher Robot Cleaner has a loading station that sucks the dirt out of the robot, but it's more than double the price.
Umlauts are an expensive upgrade. I bet the Röömbä would be like eight times as expensive.
Re:What could possibly go wrong? (Score:4, Funny)
Don't anthromorphise robots. Robots HATE being anthromorphised.
Re:Must have missed them (Score:4, Funny)
Of course you didn't seem them... they're ninja robots.
Re:Next steps (Score:1, Funny)
for illegal immigrants they plan to just demonstrate MiARS's bare capabilities in hopes that the alien will be scared back across the border.
Possible (if improbable) outcomes:
1. MiARS up on blocks, stripped of wheels and valuable metals.
2. MiARS repurposed, with a new paint job and much lower suspension.
3. MiARS obsoleted: Opponent is willing to do the dull, dirty, dangerous task for much less than the cost of maintaining MiARS.
Re:Automated robots (Score:5, Funny)
Tedious, dangerous, time-consuming tasks should be done by robots.
My wife says the same thing. But I keep telling her, steel and ceramic vaginas just don't do it for me.
Why doesn't the thing have a laser? (Score:1, Funny)
I know it goes without saying, BUT, why doesn't the thing have a laser? Wouldn't soldiers with access to the camera also want access the trigger? Just wondering...