[AzCal Retred]

Something special for R230 to worry about...  
With the total amount of crazy on tap, maybe this will de-stress the cops a bit.
Lots of situations where an armed remote control box would tip the scales for the home team a bit.
Some schizoid holed up in a house with a deer rifle/kalashnikov has to make some important choices when one of these rolls up to the door. It takes away the "winning" aspect from the nut job when there's no one to shoot at. An implacable box with a pound of C4 coming at you should induce some serious soul searching in anyone worth saving.

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-63816454
San Francisco to allow police 'killer robots'
San Francisco's ruling Board of Supervisors has voted to let the city's police use robots that can kill.
The measure permits police to deploy robots equipped with explosives in extreme circumstances.
Dr Catherine Connolly, from the group Stop Killer Robots, said the move was a "slippery slope" that could distance humans from killing.
The city's police - the SFPD - told the BBC they do not currently operate any robots equipped with lethal force.
They said though that there may be future scenarios in which lethal force could be used by a robot.
A spokesperson for the police said "robots could potentially be equipped with explosive charges to breach fortified structures containing violent, armed, or dangerous subjects".
They also said robots could be used to "incapacitate, or disorient violent, armed, or dangerous suspects who pose a risk of loss of life".
Advocates for the measure said it would only be used in extreme situations.
Opponents, however, say the authority could lead to further militarisation of the police force.
The measure passed, with an amendment on Tuesday specifying that officers could only use robots wielding deadly force after employing alternative de-escalation tactics.
The board also stipulated that only a limited number of high-ranking officers could authorise its use.
This type of lethal robot is already in use in other parts of the United States.
In 2016, police in Dallas, Texas, used a robot armed with C-4 explosive to kill a sniper who had killed two officers and injured several more.
The SFPD said the department does not currently own any robots outfitted with lethal force, but said the measure might be needed in the future.
"No policy can anticipate every conceivable situation or exceptional circumstance which officers may face. The SFPD must be prepared, and have the ability, to respond proportionally," a spokesperson said.
The federal government has long dispensed military grade equipment, camouflage uniforms, bayonets and armoured vehicles to help local law enforcement.
But a California state law passed this year now requires city police forces to inventory military-grade equipment and seek approval for their use.
Dr Catherine Connolly, from the campaign group Stop Killer Robots, said the move could "make humans more and more distant from the use of force and the consequences of the use of force".
She also said the measure could make it "easier to make decisions to use lethal force in the first place".

[Richard230]

That SFPD Robocop story was all over the local TV news yesterday. Frankly, I was really surprised that the proposal was approved by the very liberal "progressive" SF Board of Supervisors. But I guess all of the crime, both violent and property theft and damage, is finally getting to them. The residential rats and businesses are leaving the city in droves, decreasing the city's tax base and visitors and tourists are staying away in noticeable numbers. I haven't been in SF for the past three years. I just can't deal with the stress of crazy street people wandering randomly across the streets in front of traffic, tents all over the sidewalks making pedestrians walk into the street to get past them (what ever happened to handicap access laws?) and having no legal and safe (is there any such thing) place to park your vehicle on public streets without paying big money for the privilege. Right now the Board of Sups is very concerned about the golden goose of taxes starting to dry up a bit, even though there is hardly anything left to tax or fine in town. That is the bottom line in SF. They need lots of money to advance their "progressive" agenda and seem to be willing to stop cutting criminals as much slack as they used to in order to make people feel safer to live in and visit the city so that they can spend their money there.

BTW, I was really surprised to hear that the SFPD already has 17 criminal-chasing robots. Maybe they think that things are even worse in SF than I realize. Or maybe the Trump administration sent them a big Christmas gift a few years ago? 

In even more positive news: It was also reported yesterday that for the next two years the City would be painting over graffiti on building walls using four new employees that they have hired to do that job. In the past the owner of the buildings being tagged were required to immediately remove or paint over the graffiti at their cost or be fined. Now, for the next two years, the city crew will paint over the messes within 72 hours of receiving a graffiti complaint from the property owner - or so they say. Yesterday on the TV news they showed the Mayor repainting a wall using a bucket of paint and a long pole - likely so that she didn't have to get too close to the walls, which are typically used as a toilet by the homeless. 

[AzCal Retred]

" Or maybe the Trump administration sent them a big Christmas gift a few years ago?  "

Seems unlikely seeing how petty & vindictive #45 is. I'm not sure why finding a piece of flat ground, making communal toilet/shower facilities, using 20' Conex/Seatrain containers for shelter and having a communal cafeteria isn't being done. The Japanese just use large sections of pipe as shelters, Conex's are cheap and way better. Police or National Guard reservists could circulate and keep the total amount of stupid to a minimum. A bus could take those able out & back daily to paid civil project work locations like the CCC/WPA did years ago. The "Free Range Crazies" plan isn't working out so well for anyone. As far as I'm concerned, let the real nut jobs grow weed & vegetables next to their Conex, provide them food, a toilet, appropriate psychoactive meds as needed and keep them separate from the rest of us. The bootstrappable folks will avail themselves temporarily of the free housing, site security and jobs project income to soon move along or reintegrate. The rest will barter weed amongst themselves.

Years back the wife & I spent a couple days in a posh L.A. 5-star hotel. Entering & exiting we had to pass thru a remarkably "Soylent Green" looking entourage of homeless relieving themselves in the shrubbery. I think we can do better. Pretending isn't action. Creating & tolerating a cast of human racoons isn't productive, and I believe the racoons really resent it.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/25/us/judge-blocks-trump-sanctuary-cities.html
Judge Blocks Trump Effort to Withhold Money From Sanctuary Cities

[GlennF]

Russia had flame throwing drones as early as the 1930's .

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/russia-tried-conquer-finland-flamethrower-robot-tanks-25629

[AzCal Retred]

DARPA and Tesla just to name two have self driving vehicles. Autonomous military vehicles (Pentagon $$$) have existed since the 1970's at least. The X-37B has been going on "repair" missions for nearly 20 years. Battlefield tech doesn't need human intervention or much discernment when picking targets, but you'd best have your IFF dialed in. Tanks are problematic on a battlefield as you REALLY need to control the airspace to have a survivable military armored ground force. IF you did control the airspace, as long as you didn't ever get stuck, throw a track or have to refuel too often you'd be "OK". I'm thinking drones, cruise missiles and HGV's will do the deed of remote destruction without risking personnel with parents that vote.

But most certainly in 2022 the tech to fully automate tanks or similar vehicles exists and can be readily applied. Actually doing so is a question for military strategists.

Here's a report of a Libyan autonomous HK drone from 2020. I'm guessing the Pentagon didn't miss this report and just possibly has made even better ones with a black budget program. With luck we'll never know.
https://bigthink.com/the-present/lethal-autonomous-weapon-systems/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_X-37