X

Guncopter: Another aggie myth in the making

Mini-chopper straps on low recoil, automatic shotgun.

Mark Rutherford
The military establishment's ever increasing reliance on technology and whiz-bang gadgetry impacts us as consumers, investors, taxpayers and ultimately as the defended. Our mission here is to bring some of these products and concepts to your attention based on carefully selected criteria such as importance to national security, originality, collateral damage to the treasury and adaptability to yard maintenance-but not necessarily in that order. E-mail him at markr@milapp.com. Disclosure.
See full bio
Mark Rutherford

Remember when Farmer Brown would break out the 12-gauge loaded with rock salt to chase you out of his watermelon patch? Today he could take care of you and other varmints with this weaponized version of the self-stabilized unmanned mini-copter put out by Neural Robotics.

The AutoCopter uses patented "intelligent neural network-based flight control algorithms" for automated flight control, making it the easiest mini-unmanned helicopter to fly and the hardest to crash, according to an article in Defense Review.

Best of all, it's armed with the Auto Assault-12 Full-Auto Shotgun by Military Police Systems, an innovative double-ought dispenser that's pretty handy all on its own. Out of Piney Flats, Tenn., the AA-12 employs a system that reduces recoil by 90 percent, which explains why the helicopter doesn't go into an instant tailspin the second the gun is fired. Rate of fire is reportedly 300 rounds per minute out a 20-round drum.

That ought to keep you away from the sheep. Another aggie myth in the making.