We wouldn’t be surprised if, 50 years down the line, wars were fought by machines, with humans playing the role of strategists. No blood will be shed. And, supremacy will depend on who has built a better machine. Unmanned Autonomous Vehicles (UAV) will certainly have an integral role to play, then. The first steps toward building automated aerial vehicles have already been taken, and ScanEagle has marked its territory. The UAV has been designed to fly over enemy turf and capture vital battlefield information. ScanEagle borrows its concept from the Seascan aircraft as well as Boeing’s communications and payload technologies. The aerial vehicle will incorporate an infrared camera for real-time tracking of stationary and moving targets, and has a flying capacity of 15 hrs.
Launched by a wedge pneumatic catapult, the UAV executes flight missions pre-programmed by an operator. Alternatively, the vehicle can be guided with the help of GPS or its onboard flight control system. Measuring four feet long and with a wingspan of 10 feet, the ScanEagle will offer robotic assistance in the Iraqi mission.
Via Yeeeeee
