DARPA has bullets that change direction mid-flight

Scorpus

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DARPA - the United States's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency - is known for its crazy, innovative and futuristic millitary-related inventions, and this latest demonstration could be the coolest yet.

They've developed a high-tech gun system as part of the Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordinace (EXACTO) program, which gives the shooter control of where the .50-caliber bullets hit through in-flight guidance. The video below shows where the gun is aimed at, and where the bullet ends up flying after some twisting and weaving.

The EXACTO system is a combination of special ammunition and a real-time optical guidance system, designed to compensate for wind, weather and target movement. For snipers, this reduces the chance of an unsuccessful hit in tricky conditions, especially when far away.

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"For snipers, this reduces the chance of an unsuccessful hit in tricky conditions, especially when far away."

Snipers hate it when they have to shoot from range.

Sarcasm aside... How long until this is available to the general public? I'll drop $25,000 for a rifle w/ auto aim.
 
Precision Guided Firearm - From Zero to Hero an instant.
"For snipers, this reduces the chance of an unsuccessful hit in tricky conditions, especially when far away."

Snipers hate it when they have to shoot from range.
You beat me to this joke...
 
"For snipers, this reduces the chance of an unsuccessful hit in tricky conditions, especially when far away."

Snipers hate it when they have to shoot from range.

Sarcasm aside... How long until this is available to the general public? I'll drop $25,000 for a rifle w/ auto aim.
Haha (y)
 
I'll bet they got the, "changes direction in flight", idea for this, after watching someone with prostate issues trying to urinate....:D

(Should I report myself for that...:confused: )?
 
I'll bet they got the, "changes direction in flight", idea for this, after watching someone with prostate issues trying to urinate....:D

(Should I report myself for that...:confused: )?
If you were going get banned from your comments you would have many years ago. That said, you are probably the only person on these forums able to say what you say.
 
Are they planning to make this technology available for standard Saturday night specials anytime soon?

Self aiming bullets would be a boon for ghetto warfare. Perhaps interpersonal disputes could be resolved with two dead instigators, instead of a half dozen innocent collateral casualties...(y)
 
I don't know about real life. But movies always end with everyone dead or detained. Taking out anyone might only serve to ignite the flames of vengeance.
 
Are they planning to make this technology available for standard Saturday night specials anytime soon?

Self aiming bullets would be a boon for ghetto warfare. Perhaps interpersonal disputes could be resolved with two dead instigators, instead of a half dozen innocent collateral casualties...(y)
just think of all the innocents that will be saved by gangsters using self aiming bullets.
 
I don't know about real life. But movies always end with everyone dead or detained. Taking out anyone might only serve to ignite the flames of vengeance.
Yeah well, TV process shows begin with somebody dead, and end with somebody detained. It's all the commercials you have watch between those two milestones, which make you feel like a casualty yourself.

Besides, vengeance makes the world go round! The "Hatfields & The McCoys", is a true story!

OTOH, the world also revolves around the concept of, "MAD", (Mutually Assured Destruction). So perhaps, those tortured souls who might seek it,would have the wisdom of avoiding their own doom! (Oh, who the ***** do I think I'm fooling with that)..:D

My way short circuits the whole investigative process, and only requires a simple phone call for the coroners van, or perhaps the Dept of Sanitation's compactor truck. Plus there are no commercials to sit through. (Save for the bald eagle on the side of the trash truck).
just think of all the innocents that will be saved by gangsters using self aiming bullets.
Perhaps I should have more strenuously implied the those, "instigators" I mentioned were, more than likely, members of a drug gang.

And remember kids, "Tuesday is Soylent Green Day", so please recycle your fellow hoodlums
 
Since its for the U.S. military maybe they should invest some of that R&D into a IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) subroutine for that software.
PLLa39U.jpg

(and no I wouldn't endorse MS when it comes to a life or death situation)
Sarcasm aside... How long until this is available to the general public? I'll drop $25,000 for a rifle w/ auto aim.
You won't be the only one. On the down side, any jittery self pitying twerp who feels the need to blow away the objects of their rebuffed affection won't have to get UCAP. You'll only be limited by reflexes of potential victims after the first shot and the availability of .50BMG-resistant cover for them.
 
Google just hired a (former) darpa director. now google would be dodging bullets from some anti-monopoly groups.

and being a coward, I would no longer be able to avoid any bullet from this weaponry system even if I hide in my fox hole.
 
Dear Santa, I don't want this.

With the release of this, I guess there will be also huge developments in some form of countering devices :3 Hmm, how do you counter Aimbots?? :3
 
Dear Santa, I don't want this.

With the release of this, I guess there will be also huge developments in some form of countering devices :3 Hmm, how do you counter Aimbots?? :3

Vote kicks.
 
They way I see it there are only a few counters to this type of weapon, 1 an emp bust which will disable the onboard equipment and sensors, or 2 a direct hit to the weapon itself(good luck with that one).
 
How the hell do you guide a bullet travelling at 800m/s+ by eye?

In all likelihood the projectile has a sophisticated flap system that alters the flight path according to an optic sensor at the front of the round. Move the target (which I assume is marked w/ a laser or equivalent), the chip in the bullet reads the input, adjusts and.... well, splat.
 
One thing that immediately springs to mind would be a laser in the same frequency range aimed at a spot somewhat further away from one, but close enough and powerful enough to cause an override in the controlling software, thus causing a near miss.
 
So you have an extra split second to mess up the shooters aim after he fires.
 
You can theoretically fire in an arc and get people in trenches or behind walls I would think. I would imagine a running target will be tough to hit still.
 
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