Robot cannon malfunctions, kills 9

Quote:

Robot Cannon Kills 9, Wounds 14

We're not used to thinking of them this way. But many advanced military weapons are essentially robotic -- picking targets out automatically, slewing into position, and waiting only for a human to pull the trigger. Most of the time. Once in a while, though, these machines start firing mysteriously on their own. The South African National Defence Force "is probing whether a software glitch led to an antiaircraft cannon malfunction that killed nine soldiers and seriously injured 14 others during a shooting exercise on Friday."

Media reports say the shooting exercise, using live ammunition, took place at the SA Army's Combat Training Centre, at Lohatlha, in the Northern Cape, as part of an annual force preparation endeavour.

Mangope told The Star that it “is assumed that there was a mechanical problem, which led to the accident. The gun, which was fully loaded, did not fire as it normally should have," he said. "It appears as though the gun, which is computerised, jammed before there was some sort of explosion, and then it opened fire uncontrollably, killing and injuring the soldiers."

Other reports have suggested a computer error might have been to blame. Defence pundit Helmoed-Römer Heitman told the Weekend Argus that if “the cause lay in computer error, the reason for the tragedy might never be found."

Electronics engineer and defence company CEO Richard Young says he can't believe the incident was purely a mechanical fault. He says his company, C2I2, in the mid 1990s, was involved in two air defence artillery upgrade programmes, dubbed Projects Catchy and Dart.

During the shooting trials at Armscor's Alkantpan shooting range, “I personally saw a gun go out of control several times,” Young says. “They made a temporary rig consisting of two steel poles on each side of the weapon, with a rope in between to keep the weapon from swinging. The weapon eventually knocked the pol[e]s down.”

Insane.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Is this even Robocop?



There's nowhere I can't reach.

I know it's a tragedy and all, but I think "shot to death by a robot" is a cool way to go, if only by name.

How ya doing, buddy?

Ah yes. I can see the tombstone now:
Tom Kanes
1973 - 2007
Slain by a robot, loved by humans.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

I can see the robot takeover happening already.

And I, for one, support our robotic overlords.

I was speaking idiomatically.

EMP BOMB COMING LIKE WUT.

Sorry to see people be killed by a robot, but I've gotta ask: Since when did they have Robot Cannons in South Africa of all places?

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

We're screwed either way. SkyNet was software, not hardware.

FELIPE NO

Quote:

During the shooting trials at Armscor's Alkantpan shooting range, “I personally saw a gun go out of control several times,” Young says. “They made a temporary rig consisting of two steel poles on each side of the weapon, with a rope in between to keep the weapon from swinging. The weapon eventually knocked the pol[e]s down.”

Note to self: Don't hire South African programmers or engineers.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

wanted for questioning



Jam it back in, in the dark.

Have you seen this robot?



He's been known to impersonate John Wayne and cause others to act like the 3 Stooges. Considered dangerous.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Etherway, this is a blow for the Tezuka foundation in support for robot rights.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

The phrase, "Accident waiting to happen" popped into my head:

Quote:

Media reports say the shooting exercise, using live ammunition, took place at the SA Army's Combat Training Centre, at Lohatlha, in the Northern Cape, as part of an annual force preparation endeavour.

Don't blame the robot. Don't blame the computer. Blame the human who thought live ammo was a good idea....

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

It is such a crying shame that this had to happen.

Still there could of better precautions to prevent an incident like this from happeneing. Any kind of mechanical or computer device no matter how safeproof it is has the ability to malfunction.

This is just the start of many more accident involving computers exterminating humankind.

Viva La Robot Revolution.

I was speaking idiomatically.

It's now only a matter of time.



What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by Angel Of Light

This is just the start of many more accident involving computers exterminating humankind.

Viva La Robot Revolution.

We've got someone on the case:



FELIPE NO

This just in from the robot leader:



But seriously, they don't know if it was a mechanical error, and they'll never know if it was computer error. So, what do they do now? Scrap the whole thing? Or go on, praying that it won't happen again?

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by Leknaat

So, what do they do now? Scrap the whole thing? Or go on, praying that it won't happen again?

Both. Governments love to say "Oh wow this is horrible, we now ban robots." And then a few years down the road, when everyone's forgotten, they "introduce" the SAME EXACT MACHINE.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Leknaat

Have you seen this robot?



He's been known to impersonate John Wayne and cause others to act like the 3 Stooges. Considered dangerous.

He's especially dangerous in his mohawked vigilante form.

"Los Locos kick your ass, Los Locos kick your face! Los Locos kick your balls right into outer space!"

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Hm, how about ouch? More safety precautions obviously are needed here. Actually, I agree with what one person said...why DID the machine have live ammo?

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I just want to hurry up past this bullshit and get to the hybrid stage already. Resistance is, after all, futile.


I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?