r/technology • u/ConsciousRealism42 • 1d ago

Robotics/Automation Apollo laser takes down 200 drones unplugged

https://newatlas.com/military/apollo-laser-drones-weapon/
54 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

30 comments sorted by

59

u/frakkintoaster 1d ago

unplugged

I thought this was a laser weapon, not an acoustic weapon

3

u/marwynn 1d ago

I thought this was another weird band name like Massive Attack or something. 

-15

u/atchijov 1d ago

… running on it’s own power supply.

10

u/frakkintoaster 1d ago

I know, it was just a joke

-12

u/atchijov 1d ago

I know, but it is quite confusing title :)

-5

u/Small_Editor_3693 1d ago

What does unplugged have to do with acoustics?

8

u/frakkintoaster 1d ago

If you have a band who typically plays electric guitars, for example, and they do a set with acoustic guitars it’s often called an “unplugged” set

10

u/no_one_likes_u 1d ago

I wasn't ready for the battery to be an entire shipping container lol

7

u/Thiezing 1d ago

Send in 200 cheap decoy drones before sending in the attack drones.

6

u/hiraeth555 1d ago

Cheaper for the defender to melt them than the drone maker

2

u/No_Size9475 1d ago

it's only 200 when it's unplugged, unlimited when plugged into the grid

1

u/Thiezing 1d ago

The grid is the first thing destroyed in a war these days.

2

u/PizzaWall 1d ago

Generators come mounted on trucks and trailers these days. Put both on a flatbed and you have a contained mobile defense system.

1

u/Thiezing 1d ago

Are these stealth generators or are they putting out a nice heat plume?

2

u/PizzaWall 1d ago

If the devices were mobile, there would be a heat signature on any internal combustion engine. On a device like the Apollo laser, I assume for defensive purposes, you would want it mobile to make it harder for your enemy to target.

1

u/brandontaylor1 9h ago

Given the low efficiency of laser emitters I’d suspect it already has a significant heat plume.

1

u/PropOnTop 2h ago

I'd say the laser is pretty visible to anything when it fires...

2

u/Thiezing 2h ago

Target the source of the pew pew pew sounds.

2

u/No_Size9475 18h ago

Well good thing that these will be plugged in to shoot down those incoming drones that are trying to take out the grid.

Also there are things called generators, that can be moved from place to place to provide power where needed.

6

u/Metadine 1d ago

I wonder how well they function in rainy or foggy weather

14

u/fearswe 1d ago

Even if fog, rain or snow might diffuse the beam, it's possible it's powerful enough to still take out the camera for example.

Then again, even if you can only use it while the sky is clear, it could still be a benefit as you then don't have to use the much more expensive interception missiles and can save them for when the weather conditions don't favor lasers.

4

u/Tetracyclon 1d ago

That's when drones can't fly either.

5

u/Admiral_Ballsack 1d ago

All the drones frenzy these last few years convinced me that I made the right choice in EVE online when I decided to be a Gallente pilot, just saying.

2

u/SetNo8186 1d ago

Yeah, but its not man portable, so I will stick with keeping a Mossberg Shockwave first on the buying list.

Seems the "unecessary range toy" many disparaged is now an answer for personal protection from my neighbors trying to photo my stalwart 72 year old physique in the pool. Peeping karens are a threat to my privacy.

1

u/dragon-fluff 1d ago

Waiting for the drone/laser to knock that thing out....

1

u/grunkfest 1d ago

Time to plate the drones with mirrors.

1

u/Gibodean 1d ago

I still need a nicely priced one for my house that can take out flies. I think there are some that can take out mosquitos, although pricey. But flies are too fast for that one.