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I was a bit disappointed not to find any thoughts about the proliferation of smaller, affordable drones and their potential uses in assassinating people (by cri

I was a bit disappointed not to find any thoughts about the proliferation of smaller, affordable drones and their potential uses in assassinating people (by criminals) in the article. It's not hard to imagine this happening sooner or later and it's scary to think about even smaller (insect-size) and more autonomous (no RC operator nearby) gadgets and their potential effectiveness. How many years till a robotic fly can release a drop of poison in your mouth while you're sleeping? 30-40?

newman8r 12y ago
this is the question to be asking - it's only a matter of time. I think the only way to fight it is if the good guys are smarter and create the tech to protect us from these potential murders just like our immune system protects us from intruders
- sergiosgc 12y ago
  This is not the question to be asking. Not at all The robotic fly question describes a future danger of unknown magnitude. We, western societies, must ask the same question the article hints at: How can we be murdering innocents in the name of democracy? It's happening now, not in some future, it is actionable by us and it affects innocent lives both directly and indirectly.
  - deleted 12y ago
    [deleted]
  - newman8r 12y ago
    I wasn't referring to the fly per se - but at the thought of privately owned drones committing crimes in the united states. You are right that military use is a real and existing problem and thus clearly deserves more actual resources + action I think the idea of this happening domestically in the US is just terrifying. I know that's a selfish thing because we are essentially doing it to other nations but it seems like more of an inevitability than something to put off before it becomes a problem.
stephenwinter2 12y ago
I estimated 10 years until poison killer drones are wheeling beneath my ceiling light. - I wrote it 2 years ago on my website http://hashsign.co.uk/contact-stephen-winter.html#killer-drones http://hashsign.co.uk/contact-stephen-winter.html#killer-dro... . (Already in 2009 I looked ahead fruit fly drones dropping plutonium in nasal cavities. http://hashsign.co.uk/notmute/20091129-hans-henny-jahnn.html#a01 http://hashsign.co.uk/notmute/20091129-hans-henny-jahnn.html... ) But yes, 30-40 years is more likely.
tormeh 12y ago
http://www.proxdynamics.com/home http://www.proxdynamics.com/home
lucio 12y ago
This is slightly unsettling https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUSMpCckEbY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUSMpCckEbY
- knowaveragejoe 12y ago
  It's also an advertisement for a Call of Duty game.
  - lucio 12y ago
    I know, but it is actually viable with current technology.
    - knowaveragejoe 12y ago
      Well, sure, but with major caveats. That quadrotor would never work, there's no way it could carry a machine gun and much ammunition with a battery powered motor. Not to mention the problems of recoil in a (relatively) frictionless environment, telemetry, etc. It would look a lot more like the MQ-8 firescout, which is a hell of a lot bigger/louder/expensive than that. A small drone like that carrying lethal weaponry and being effective is still a ways off.
socialist_coder 12y ago
I was also disappointed the article was not about personal drones being modified to kill. It's going to happen, sooner rather than later.
- outworlder 12y ago
  They already are deadly. Those spinning blades can do a lot of damage to a person. Just check drone forums. All instances that I could find were accidents. So far.
- bbradley406 12y ago
  Having seen a video[1] of a drone armed with a paintball pistol (and its precision), I would say that it will be much sooner than expected. Despite the fact that I'll probably be put on a watch-list for saying this, it would be the perfect crime. There would be no weapon left at the scene (provided the drone returns to its base), as well as no DNA samples. Anyone who could rig and pilot such a drone would probably be smart enough to leave minimal evidence related to motives, purchases, etc. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jplh7uatr-E&t=138 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jplh7uatr-E&t=138

newman8r 12y ago

this is the question to be asking - it's only a matter of time. I think the only way to fight it is if the good guys are smarter and create the tech to protect us from these potential murders just like our immune system protects us from intruders

sergiosgc 12y ago
This is not the question to be asking. Not at all The robotic fly question describes a future danger of unknown magnitude. We, western societies, must ask the same question the article hints at: How can we be murdering innocents in the name of democracy? It's happening now, not in some future, it is actionable by us and it affects innocent lives both directly and indirectly.
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
- newman8r 12y ago
  I wasn't referring to the fly per se - but at the thought of privately owned drones committing crimes in the united states. You are right that military use is a real and existing problem and thus clearly deserves more actual resources + action I think the idea of this happening domestically in the US is just terrifying. I know that's a selfish thing because we are essentially doing it to other nations but it seems like more of an inevitability than something to put off before it becomes a problem.

stephenwinter2 12y ago

I estimated 10 years until poison killer drones are wheeling beneath my ceiling light. - I wrote it 2 years ago on my website http://hashsign.co.uk/contact-stephen-winter.html#killer-drones http://hashsign.co.uk/contact-stephen-winter.html#killer-dro... . (Already in 2009 I looked ahead fruit fly drones dropping plutonium in nasal cavities. http://hashsign.co.uk/notmute/20091129-hans-henny-jahnn.html#a01 http://hashsign.co.uk/notmute/20091129-hans-henny-jahnn.html... ) But yes, 30-40 years is more likely.

tormeh 12y ago

http://www.proxdynamics.com/home http://www.proxdynamics.com/home

lucio 12y ago

This is slightly unsettling https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUSMpCckEbY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUSMpCckEbY

knowaveragejoe 12y ago
It's also an advertisement for a Call of Duty game.
- lucio 12y ago
  I know, but it is actually viable with current technology.
  - knowaveragejoe 12y ago
    Well, sure, but with major caveats. That quadrotor would never work, there's no way it could carry a machine gun and much ammunition with a battery powered motor. Not to mention the problems of recoil in a (relatively) frictionless environment, telemetry, etc. It would look a lot more like the MQ-8 firescout, which is a hell of a lot bigger/louder/expensive than that. A small drone like that carrying lethal weaponry and being effective is still a ways off.

socialist_coder 12y ago

I was also disappointed the article was not about personal drones being modified to kill. It's going to happen, sooner rather than later.

outworlder 12y ago
They already are deadly. Those spinning blades can do a lot of damage to a person. Just check drone forums. All instances that I could find were accidents. So far.
bbradley406 12y ago
Having seen a video[1] of a drone armed with a paintball pistol (and its precision), I would say that it will be much sooner than expected. Despite the fact that I'll probably be put on a watch-list for saying this, it would be the perfect crime. There would be no weapon left at the scene (provided the drone returns to its base), as well as no DNA samples. Anyone who could rig and pilot such a drone would probably be smart enough to leave minimal evidence related to motives, purchases, etc. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jplh7uatr-E&t=138 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jplh7uatr-E&t=138