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There's a recent Veritasium video, where they were trying to demonstrate tungsten "rods from gods" space weapons by dropping heavy weights from a helicopter. W

There's a recent Veritasium video, where they were trying to demonstrate tungsten "rods from gods" space weapons by dropping heavy weights from a helicopter. When they asked an expert about the aiming issue, the response was basically laughter and "I'm not going to solve the precision guided munitions problem for you because of legal reasons, and you're not going to be able to figure it out." I expect precision guided rocketry is going to be a lot harder than a chunk of steel barely high enough to reach terminal velocity.

K0balt 4y ago
It’s not really that hard to figure out, unfortunately. It gets trickier for moving targets… but it’s still not that hard. These days, the easiest way is just to use a neural network trained in a simulator. You don’t even have to understand the math or even fully grep the sensor/image processing. The methods used for conventional targeting systems are actually pretty well documented. Hobbiests are already making self landing (spacex-style) model rockets. That is a much harder problem.
mlindner 4y ago
That Veritasium video is probably the worst video he ever produced. It was full of the most obvious mistakes possible along with a pointless hype. He probably felt forced to release it because he spent so much money on the failure. AFAIK, in the US, precision guidance to a specific orientation on a amateur rocket is legal (i.e. active stabilization), but precision guidance to a specific location on a amateur rocket is indeed illegal.
- travisgriggs 4y ago
  Interesting. This was my take as well. I’ve been a fan of rods from god stuff for years, but his whole attempt to “recreate” was really lame. He explains physics stuff all the time, and then struggle with some simple engineering, just so they could create “suspense” around a helicopter drop. It was kinda surreal. I’m still scratching my head.
- 8note 4y ago
  I'd go with the worst ones being one of the straight up commercials like the self driving cars one
8note 4y ago
Entertainingly, mark Robert posted a video of him solving the precision guided missile problem, and realizing on talking to an expert in the field that that's what he'd been building
Baeocystin 4y ago
I think you're thinking of Mark Rober's recent 'egg drop from space' video? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYVZh5kqaFg&t=660s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYVZh5kqaFg&t=660s
- NegativeK 4y ago
  Ah, I think you're right.

K0balt 4y ago

It’s not really that hard to figure out, unfortunately. It gets trickier for moving targets… but it’s still not that hard. These days, the easiest way is just to use a neural network trained in a simulator. You don’t even have to understand the math or even fully grep the sensor/image processing. The methods used for conventional targeting systems are actually pretty well documented. Hobbiests are already making self landing (spacex-style) model rockets. That is a much harder problem.

mlindner 4y ago

That Veritasium video is probably the worst video he ever produced. It was full of the most obvious mistakes possible along with a pointless hype. He probably felt forced to release it because he spent so much money on the failure. AFAIK, in the US, precision guidance to a specific orientation on a amateur rocket is legal (i.e. active stabilization), but precision guidance to a specific location on a amateur rocket is indeed illegal.

travisgriggs 4y ago
Interesting. This was my take as well. I’ve been a fan of rods from god stuff for years, but his whole attempt to “recreate” was really lame. He explains physics stuff all the time, and then struggle with some simple engineering, just so they could create “suspense” around a helicopter drop. It was kinda surreal. I’m still scratching my head.
8note 4y ago
I'd go with the worst ones being one of the straight up commercials like the self driving cars one

8note 4y ago

Entertainingly, mark Robert posted a video of him solving the precision guided missile problem, and realizing on talking to an expert in the field that that's what he'd been building

Baeocystin 4y ago

I think you're thinking of Mark Rober's recent 'egg drop from space' video? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYVZh5kqaFg&t=660s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYVZh5kqaFg&t=660s

NegativeK 4y ago
Ah, I think you're right.