mmm...hot tasty laser goodness...

S

Sad Max

Artful Dodger
Today the USN successfully shot down a series of drones using what I guess will eventually replace Phalanx and the RAM as the point-defense weapon of choice...

web_100119-N-0365D-001.jpg



...and some video:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_162-20011041-501465.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTpP412fM8U&feature=player_embedded

Imagine the holograms you could create, with a set of these...
 
Since the laser itself is basically silent I think the engineers added a sound-effect module, to get the sound right...
 
Sad Max said:
Since the laser itself is basically silent I think the engineers added a sound-effect module, to get the sound right...
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I always wondered about the whole silent weapon thing, and how there is now audio feedback to the user. How about if there are ever space fighter craft? There's no sound in space, so would it be beneficial to have sound effects that play back in the cockpit for some sort of emotional audio feedback to the pilot?

Maybe in a sense, a Pavlov's dog type of response. Pew pew... boom = success!!!!
 
Of course in a tight budgetary climate we should probably just encourage the pilots and gunners to make the noises, themselves.
 
Sad Max said:
Of course in a tight budgetary climate we should probably just encourage the pilots and gunners to make the noises, themselves.
Click to expand...

Maybe they can buy some cheap sound effects from a sound effects library?

I've got one of the Digital Juice sound libraries, which has some decent laser and plasma rifle sounds on it.
 
Nektonic said:
I always wondered about the whole silent weapon thing, and how there is now audio feedback to the user. How about if there are ever space fighter craft?
Click to expand...

I doubt there will ever be wars fought in space. I'm doubtful we'll ever make it out of this solar system.
 
Sad Max said:
Of course in a tight budgetary climate we should probably just encourage the pilots and gunners to make the noises, themselves.
Click to expand...

I found it quite amusing to find that Steadicam operators are taught (at workshops) to make sound effects (in their head!) during shots to help time out the moves!


- Mikko
 
Sad Max said:
Ah, you're an optimist.
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Hey, I absolutely LOVE the romance of the idea. But if you look at it without all the lovely fantasy baggage we got from years of science fiction, it just doesn't seem probable. I'm highly skeptical we'll get anywhere near the speed of light let alone break or subvert it. That pretty much limits us to this solar system. Even in more current science fiction the idea of sending canned primates into space has passed out of fashion...BTW, I call dibs on CANNED PRIMATES as a band name.
 
I don't know about 'romance...'

I remember Mike Pondsmith describing what he figured real space warfare would be like: Computer calculation and decision-making far faster than any person could follow, and use of automated weapons systems designed to stop a multi-ton ICBM with a single shot. The human element will be reduced to planning, strategy, or freeze-dried hamburger.
 
Sad Max said:
I don't know about 'romance...'

I remember Mike Pondsmith describing what he figured real space warfare would be like: Computer calculation and decision-making far faster than any person could follow, and use of automated weapons systems designed to stop a multi-ton ICBM with a single shot. The human element will be reduced to planning, strategy, or freeze-dried hamburger.
Click to expand...

So you believe in outerspace warfare and I'M the pessimist?
 
No, I believe in freeze-dried hamburger, and you're the pessimist.

You don't even think we'll be around long enough to enjoy the outer-space warfare...
 
Of course in a tight budgetary climate we should probably just encourage the pilots and gunners to make the noises, themselves.
Click to expand...

They've been doing that for 10 years already. During some of our exercises while I was in the reserves, we would be issued 'militia-bullets.' This entailed running around doing our drills while yelling "Bang Bang" to simulate firing our weapons.
 
Sad Max said:
No, I believe in freeze-dried hamburger, and you're the pessimist.

You don't even think we'll be around long enough to enjoy the outer-space warfare...
Click to expand...

I think we might be around...we just won't populate space well enough to have wars in them. The amount of obstacles that need to be overcome in order to make space or other planets in our solar system livable for ordinary people I feel are nearly insurmountable. The only hope is if we found a planet nearly identical to ours. You factor the odds of finding that with the odds that it would be reachable at or near the speed of light in a human timeframe, and it doesn't look good.
 
4100xpb said:
They've been doing that for 10 years already. During some of our exercises while I was in the reserves, we would be issued 'militia-bullets.' This entailed running around doing our drills while yelling "Bang Bang" to simulate firing our weapons.
Click to expand...

How did you handle bayonet training...?

stabbity stabbity stabbity!
 
Sad Max said:
Today the USN successfully shot down a series of drones using what I guess will eventually replace Phalanx and the RAM as the point-defense weapon of choice...
Click to expand...

WOW
icon_eek.gif
we final have Death Rays!

Jeeeez, I wish I had a laser pointer like that.

Frank
 
There are a few technical engineering reasons why LASER based weapons have not succeed in the past, and probably will remain an issue:

(1) Power/Weight Ratio, high intensity beam requires massive amount of energy and heavy equipment

(2) LASER beam can be occluded easily by atmospheric particles, e.g. weather/ clouds etc.

(3) Any reflective surface (eg mirror, some metals etc) can reflect the LASER beam

(4) unlike normal explosives, LASER beam has to 'burn/cut/ignite fuel tank etc. The LASER beam must track for the entire time = complex + plus craft could out maneuver beam.

I'm going to sleep now....
 
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