Diversity in gaming!
via wikia.com
In Star Wars, a force field, sometimes called an energy field, seemed to be a very broad, general term for any type of field, most commonly artificial, in which matter or energy was manipulated through some type of force.
Artificial force fields tended to be ‘projected’ from a single device, and thus normally had a certain radius over which their effect gradually weakened to the negligible. Energy from most force fields could usually also be concentrated into a plane, a ‘skin’ around an object, a beam, or even a single point, though this often required more advanced technology. Force fields could be disrupted through outside interference occasionally, such as with the use of a power gem.
Types of force fields:
Deflector shields, artificial fields designed to block matter or energy
Particle shields, shields designed to block matter
Ray shields, shields designed to block energy
Electromagnetic fields, artificial or natural fields of electromagnetism
Magnetic seal, a type of electromagnetic field designed to deflect energy and matter
Electromagnetic pulses, artificial fields that disrupted circuitry
Fence-field, a type of force field, similar to a shock field, used for security purposes around a building or ground installation
The Force, a mystical, naturally occurring force field
Pressor field, a type of force field similar in principle to a tractor beam but instead inverted so as to create an effect of applying external pressure to an object
Relativistic shields, artificial forces that prevented time distortion
Shock fields, electrical fields used for security purposes
Tractor beams, artificial fields that drew matter inward
via tech2.in.com
In real-life, a force field (sometimes known as an energy shield, force shield, or deflector shield) is a barrier, usually made of energy or charged particles, that protects a person, object, or area from attacks or damage. It can also also rapid, room-temperature sterilization of food, medical equipment; and contaminated civilian and military gear. Practical uses for force fields would be for satellite protection (from space dust) in space exploration, and military vehicles, aircraft, and possibly even military establishments. Force fields also exist in Star Trek, Lost, and Halo.
A group, from the University of Washington, in Seattle, has been testing a bubble of charged plasma that us intended to surround a spacecraft, contained by a fine mesh of superconducting wire protecting the spacecraft from interstellar radiation and particles of dust without needing a physical shield.
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory is designing an actual test satellite, that is intended to orbit Earth with a charged plasma field surrounding it.
Plasma windows are slightly similar to force fields, being difficult for matter to pass through.
In August 1980, workers at a 3M factory in South Carolina discovered a “invisible electrostatic wall” in an area under a fast-moving sheet of polypropelene film that had become electrically charged to a voltage that “had to be in the Megavolt range”. This phenomenon was a result of Coulomb’s law at work.
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems demonstrates their product “Trophy”, a state-of-the-art electromagnetic force field that projects a 360° field around a combat vehicle that stops missiles and other projectiles from hitting it with minimal collateral damage. It works by neutralizing threats fired from short range, and even can neutralize simultaneous threats. It works in high elevation areas, and is applicable to many different military vehicles.
via theforce.net
The development of Force fields is still an emerging reality and requires more attention in scientific understanding and development to become practical enough for use in space, military, or possibly even every-day-life.
via wikia.com
In Star Wars, a battle droid (also referred to as war droid or killer droid) was any droid designed for combat.
There were numerous types of battle droids. Many of the best known battle droids were those used by the Confederacy of Independent Systems (see image above) during the Clone Wars and the Galactic Empire/Imperial Remnant after the Clone Wars. Other battle droids, in the films, are similar to walkers or tanks that are operated by the AI inside the robots, not a external humanoid.
At the end of the Clone Wars, Sith Lord Darth Vader turned off the Master control signal, deactivating the entire Separatist Droid Army. After this, battle droids became extremely rare.
via wikia.com
In real-life, a robot-maker named Foster-Miller attached machine guns onto three bomb-disposal bots and sent them overseas to Iraq and Afghanistan in 2007. These robots were the first armed robots to be placed in a war zone, although no shots have been fired by the robots during combat yet. At this point, weaponized robots are a new technology that is still in the developmental.
Foster-Miller has plans to ship the Modular Advanced Armed Robotic System (MAARS), which is an armed robot that has Transformer-like abilities
It has the ability to be changed from one mission setup to another very quickly. The operators of the robots can modify its treads, drive system, weaponry, and even its dimensions. The robots do not have a mind of their own; however, a soldier can command the bot through a video-and-map-enabled remote control to make the robot to begin shooting.
Within about 10 years, robots will probably be fighting alongside infantry soldiers.
via photobucket
DARPA, the military’s experimental research agency, is also trying to develop a translation machine with 98 percent accuracy in 20 different languages similar to C-3PO in Star Wars. They are developing what they called the Robust Automatic Translation of Speech (RATS) program to streamline the translation process.
via wikia.com
U.S. Army engineers have completed testing a 20-ton Stryker robotic tank that is intended to be used as an unmanned escort. It can follow a manned vehicle without the use of a GPS at 22 mph on average and go as fast as 40 on straightaways. It relies on the data from the lead vehicles and from its own sensors to navigate itself. It can also detect obstacles that were placed by the leading vehicle and avoid them entirely. At this point in time, soldiers will remain in the vehicles; however, eventually they will be used for transporting reinforcements in war zones.
via defensereview.com
Twin brothers, Geoff and Mike Howe from Barwick, Maine, have created the Ripsaw, an cheap unmanned ground vehicle that has a high speed of over 60 mph (matching the full speeds of Humvees and other military truck convoys). Each track can be replaced should it be damaged from the marks of war. It can carry a payload of up to 2,000 pounds. It is operated from another vehicle using a modular crew station that placed in a range of Army different vehicles. The unarmored Ripsaw is worth about $1 million dollars.
Its armament, modified by the Army’s Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) at Picatinny Arsenal, NJ; includes a remotely operated M240 machine gun that also has modular station that can be put in a range of vehicles.
via wikia.com
Give the area of robotics a few years to expand and develop, and we will have some pretty cool war robots… until they decide to give them minds of their own. Then the roles of the creators will not last long…
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