tanks

Army tests new special ops hybrid vehicle

The U.S. Army is testing a new diesel hybrid vehicle called the Clandestine Extended Range Vehicle (CERV) designed for quick-paced special operations-type missions such as reconnaissance, surveillance, and targeting--all the while conserving fuel.

The vehicle was developed jointly by Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide and the U.S. Army's Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) National Automotive Center, with funding support through the U.S. Special Operations Command.

The CERV pairs the Quantum's new "Q-Force" advanced all-wheel-drive diesel hybrid electric power train with a light-weight chassis to produce a torque rating that exceeds … Read more

Robotics Rodeo puts unmanned tech front and center

FORT HOOD, Texas--Soldiers and civilian contractors braved the heat here this week for the first Robotics Rodeo to view and interact with a long lineup of robot systems and to give feedback on which ones could potentially find a place in the U.S. Army's robo stable.

Despite the hundreds of military robots that show up in concept or as prototypes on company Web sites and corporate reports, humans still do the fighting on the ground and it's likely to stay that way for a while. However, there's a growing niche for "the dirty, the dull, … Read more

John Deere goes olive-drab at Robotics Rodeo

FORT HOOD, Texas--John Deere, a household name in the Lone Star state, is hoping the brand will carry over into the market for military unmanned runabouts.

At the Robotics Rodeo taking place this week here at this massive Army post, the company is demonstrating its R-Gator standalone, autonomous mule, which is based on its M-Gator model already in the field. Applications include reconnaissance, patrol, hauling supplies (up to 1,400 lbs.), casualty evacuation, and the "marsupial" capability--namely the ferrying and remote deployment of smaller, specialized robots. (PDF)

The unit uses John Deere's NavCom technology, GPS, and … Read more

Does the broadcast model have a place in online radio?

In the last couple of days, I've been introduced to a couple new online sites, both calling themselves "radio," that encapsulate very different approaches toward distributing music over the Web.

Goom Radio, which entered public alpha testing yesterday, claims to be trying to change the landscape of online radio. One big difference between Goom and other radio services is a radio widget that users will be able to embed in social-networking sites and other Web pages. Goom also makes a big deal about its audio technology, which starts with uncompressed WAV files instead of digitally compressed MP3 … Read more

Touch to aim, and fire!

Pocket Tanks is the iPhone/iPod Touch version of the popular desktop artillery game Pocket Tanks for the Mac and PC. This app includes some minimal touch controls (including a scrolling, zoomable battlefield) but otherwise it deviates little from the desktop version in both appearance and gameplay. As with similar artillery games, you and an opponent (an AI, or other person sharing the same device) each control tanks that take turns firing at each other over mountainous terrain, adjusting angle and power to line up the perfect shot.

What makes Pocket Tanks interesting is the large array of unusual weapons (… Read more

VW to consumers: Our diesels are clean, fast, and will start when frozen

New particle trapping technology and significantly lower sulfur diesel fuel has opened the door for more diesel-powered vehicles to be sold in all 50 states. But the increase in engine cleanliness hasn't translated into increased diesel vehicle sales the way German automakers wanted.

The problem? Consumer perception hasn't caught up with engineering advances.

To combat the dated stigma that diesels are dirty, slow, expensive, and won't start in the cold, VW has launched TDI Truth & Dare, a new Web site that aims to debunk these myths.

The videos may provide a bit of entertaining education, but … Read more

Ken Block's Subaru Impreza on tank treads (video)

Just when you think you've seen it all, someone shows up with a Subaru Impreza WRX with tank treads. The Impreza in question has all the markings and livery of Ken Block's Monster STI, so we think it's safe to assume that Ken is working on something special.

We've already seen what Ken can do on four wheels, so our imaginations are running wild with the idea of seeing him cut loose in such an unorthodox vehicle!

Tank blast-o-rama

HeavyMach Lite is a free preview of the first four stages in HeavyMach, a side-scrolling tank game in which you blast through enemy gun emplacements and trucks, helicopters, and other vehicles on your way to battle big bosses. This is a fun, pick-up-and-play game with solid graphics and sound effects, tons of different weapons, straightforward gameplay, and very intuitive controls: you tilt your device to roll left or right, and you tap to shoot--and where you tap controls the angle of your gun. You can also tap a "booster" lever to jump, to overcome obstacles and avoid enemy … Read more

Tank blast-o-rama

HeavyMach Lite is a free preview of the first four stages in HeavyMach, a side-scrolling tank game in which you blast through enemy gun emplacements and trucks, helicopters, and other vehicles on your way to battle big bosses. This is a fun, pick-up-and-play game with solid graphics and sound effects, tons of different weapons, straightforward gameplay, and very intuitive controls: you tilt your device to roll left or right, and you tap to shoot--and where you tap controls the angle of your gun. You can also tap a "booster" lever to jump, to overcome obstacles and avoid enemy … Read more