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"We follow the scientists around and look over their shoulders."
- Larry Niven
 |
| Smart Bullet | ||
| Really a tiny missile capable of identifying and following a person. |
In the film, Jack Ramsay of the Runaway squad chases after malfunctioning robots. However, evil mastermind Charles Luther has an advanced weapon prototype - a gun that shoots smart bullets.
(Smart bullet dissected)
| "Jack, look at this. The back half is all solid propellant. Valves for directional control ... look, it's all electronic."
"You've heard of a bullet that has your name on it. Well, this one really does. And you can program it to go after a specific person." "What's the signature?" "I don't know, man. I've tried everything..." "It's a heat seeking missile... Everyone's body has a unique heat pattern...This is your body's heat pattern and this is mine." |
| From Runaway,
by Michael Crichton. Published by Tri-Star Pictures in 1985 Additional resources -
|
Here's the oversized gun that fires the smart bullet.
(The gun that shoots the smart bullet)
The final feature of the device is that it targets individual people by looking at their body heat signature.
(Targeting system uses your personal heat signature)
Compare to the magnetic shell from The Great Stone of Shardis (1897) by Frank Stockton, the atomic bomb from The World Set Free (1914) by HG Wells, the atomic shell from Buck Rogers: 2430 AD (1929) by Nowlan and Calkin, the roving bomb from Lost Rocket (1941) by Manly Wade Wellman, the Wabbler from The Wabbler (1942) by Murray Leinster and the planet-busting bomb from Testing (1956) by JJ Ferat.
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Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from Runaway
More Ideas
and Technology by Michael Crichton
Tech news articles related to Runaway
Tech news articles related to works by Michael Crichton
Smart Bullet-related
news articles:
- Cylogic Smart Avenger Runaway Project
- SPIKE Fire-And-Forget Missile World's Smallest
- Switchblade Surveillance Missile
- Self-Guided Bullet Accurate Over One Mile
- Laser-Guided Smart Bullet Prototype
- EXACTO Smart Bullet From DARPA
| SPECTER Electroshock Round Fireable From Shotgun |
| Electric Lasso Gives Police Options |
| R9X Hellfire Missile With Long Blades Kills Queda Leader |
| CAV-X Supercavitating Ammo Deadly Underwater |
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'... with large padded feet, who were apparently polishing their way the whole length of Rama's six artificial suns.'
'Anything larger than a BB shot it picked up and placed in a tray on its upper surface...'
'the human seats took up two-thirds of the room in each'
'the curious absent look of a robot talking on the TBR circuits...'
'Over her lacerated right shoulder he sprayed art-derm...'
Now, that was a Pontiac Trans Am with some real style.
'There is a built-in microphone that hears everything you say, and an electric brain that selects a suitable answer.'
