Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Latest By
Category:
Armor
Artificial
Intelligence
Biology
Clothing
Communication
Computers
Culture
Data Storage
Displays
Engineering
Entertainment
Food
Input Devices
Lifestyle
Living Space
Manufacturing
Material
Media
Medical
Miscellaneous
Robotics
Security
Space Tech
Spacecraft
Surveillance
Transportation
Travel
Vehicle
Virtual
Person
Warfare
Weapon
Work
"I wrote many novels which … contained the element of the projected collective unconscious, which made them simply incomprehensible to anyone who read them, because they required the reader to accept my premise that each of us lives in a unique world."
- Philip K. Dick
 |
| 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." |
| Technovelgy 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.
See also the micro-missiles from Invader on my Back by Phillip High.
Comment/Join this discussion ( 4 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |
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
- Bullet Steers Itself! The Advanced Low-Cost Munitions Ordnance ALaMO
| Can A Swarm Of Deadly Drones Take Out An Aircraft Carrier? |
| Has Turkey Been Stealing Rain From Iran? |
| We Need To Build Anti-Drone Systems For Civilian Spaces |
| Bullet Steers Itself! The Advanced Low-Cost Munitions Ordnance ALaMO |
Want to Contribute an
Item?
It's easy:
Get the name of the item, a
quote, the book's name and the author's name, and Add
it here.
| <Previous | Next> |
|
|
|
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Science Fiction Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
|
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
'Alex did not find it surprising that people... were electronically minting their own cash.'
'I had determined that my first attempt should be a visit to Mars.'
To follow the user like a pet while carrying their cargo!
'Deveet unhooked his catch and laid it on the bank beside him. It was a metal fish.'
'...waldoes in the screen followed in exact, simultaneous parallelism.'
'Seen close it was not completely flexible, but made instead of pivoted and smoothly finished segments.'
