Lifeboat Foundation

Lookout the Russian Robots are coming.

A new pair of Russian robots has been developed that can track and attack humans from more than four miles away. The devices are designed for use on the Russian border and claim to accurately detect and attack ground and aerial threats long before they reach Russian soil.

Key technology at the robots’ disposal includes radar, HD and thermal video imaging, and multiple long-range grenade launchers. The first of the two new robots will act as a pair of scrupulous eyes for Russian border guards.

Continue reading “Russia unveils killer robots with deadly range more than FOUR miles” »

The device is said to be employed at the border and can be used from anything to detecting low-flying drones to targeting a vehicle from six miles away.

US military scientists have used electrical brain stimulators to enhance mental skills of staff, in research that aims to boost the performance of air crews, drone operators and others in the armed forces’ most demanding roles.

The successful tests of the devices pave the way for servicemen and women to be wired up at critical times of duty, so that electrical pulses can be beamed into their brains to improve their effectiveness in high pressure situations.

The brain stimulation kits use five electrodes to send weak electric currents through the skull and into specific parts of the cortex. Previous studies have found evidence that by helping neurons to fire, these minor brain zaps can boost cognitive ability.

Continue reading “US military successfully tests electrical brain stimulation to enhance staff skills” »

Iraqi militia forces debuted an unmanned ground combat vehicle this week — but was it really invented by two nameless Iraqi brothers?

With pinpoint accuracy, this electronic warfare drone can black out opposing forces at will.

Boeing’s “CHAMP” (Counter-electronics High-powered Microwave Advanced Missile Project) is a one-missile, flying blackout. Image source: Boeing.

Your weekly selection of awesome robot videos.

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Check out the world from a drone’s perspective.

Given that the battery life of most multicopter drones typically doesn’t exceed 30 minutes of flight time per charge, there are many tasks that they simply can’t perform. Feeding them power through a hard-wired tether is one option, although that only works for applications where they’re hovering in place. Scientists at Imperial College London, however, are developing an alternative – they’re wirelessly transferring power to a drone as it’s flying.

For their study, the scientists started with an off-the-shelf mini quadcopter. They proceeded to remove its battery, add a copper coil to its body, and alter its electronics.

The researchers also built a separate transmitting platform that uses a circuit board, power source and copper coil of its own to produce a magnetic field. When placed near that platform, the drone’s coil acts as a receiving antenna for that magnetic field, inducing an alternating electrical current. The quadcopter’s rejigged electronics then convert that alternating current to direct current, which is used to power its flight.