How 'Smart' Sniper Bullets Change Direction Midair

Sniper warfare just got a whole lot smarter. In this incredible new video, we explore the fascinating world of 'smart' sniper bullets that can change direction in midair to hit their targets with pinpoint accuracy. We delve into the science behind these game-changing weapons, examining how they use advanced tracking technology to hone in on targets with incredible precision. Don't miss this epic new video for a look at the future of warfare.

🔖 MY SOCIAL PAGES

💭 Find more interesting stuff on:

All videos are based on publicly available information unless otherwise noted.

[danielkirkpatrick]

I worked at Sandia labs for a few years when their guided bullet prototype was first tested. If I remember right, it was a smooth-bore .50 cal bullet with an optical sensor on the tip. There was a small processor that operated small fins on the back that would move in and out to change direction via air drag. Think of feathers on an arrow that move in and out. The lab news had it hitting a 10 inch plate consistently from a mile out. This was all in the lab news back between 2011-14, so nothing classified. The story was it was engineers that were hunting buddies talking during a hunt and got an idea. They went back to work and asked for funding to prove it out. Super ironic that the video made fun of hunting buddies, because that is exactly where this came from.

[patrickschmidt]

Now when the USA will deploy its snipers to war zones the enemy's will be calling them out for having aimbot

[richardkuehn]

“The bullet is half an inch long”
It’s half an inch wide.

[blocky_luke]

If titanfall subreddit has told me one thing, everyone would agree these this would be a war crime

[neofulcrum]

Reminds me of the bullet curving of the movie wanted

[iancameron]

Aerodynamic control surfaces are just one of many options. A bullet leaves the barrel spinning rapidly, effectively becoming a gyroscope rotor. A standard bullet’s axis of rotation (and angular momentum) goes straight through its center of mass, which is what makes it so stable when it leaves the barrel. If the bullet had a defect, and its center of mass was displaced from its rotational axis, it would quickly tumble, veering off course. If we could control where the center of mass was on a spinning bullet, we could steer it without the need for fins. Considering how fast microelectronic systems can actuate, it is completely feasible.

With the exceptionally low power required to operate a solid state system like this, the power source doesn’t even have to be a dedicated battery.

[RyanKung]

Very cool! Strapping C4 onto a carrier pigeon might be cheaper

[undertow]

Sweet. Now let’s build out fleets of drones armed with exacto systems and advanced optics/sensors

[olefella]

The fact that we get free videos on YouTube by The Infographics Show is truly a gift. 👏👏👏

[georgepretnick]

A .50 BMG bullet is a half inch WIDE, not long. It's closer to two inches long.

[grex]

Range finder talks to bullet, bullet talks target, target talks to God.

[sombodythatyouusedtoknow]

I am sure that cap'n Price would have loved to use on of those when taking down zhakaev in og MW 1

[QuantumAscension]

I imagine another limitation is the velocity. Depending on how the bullet's "maneuvering rings" work (i.e. aerodynamic force, mass balance shifting, etc) there might be a maximum effective velocity on the round, which in turn would reduce the effective range it could be used at.

[Chainz]

Please make more 100 days episodes, they’re all fantastic. Each different series

[larcoal]

.50 is half an inch WIDE, not half an inch LONG. (2:50)

[nickvinsable]

Yeah, I completely agree with the role that EXACTO is supposed to play. However, for the sake of police/SWAT, a less lethal variant, preferably a pepperball variant, for situations where you don’t want to hit a hostage, or something like that…

[nursestoyland]

0:03 I don’t think that’s how bipods work….

[umjackd]

I'm reminded of a Perun quote, something along the lines of "If you turn your back for one minute, the US military will try strapping a homing device to a hand grenade" in terms of the US military generally wanting the most tricked out tools.

[joetuktyyuktuk]

All bullets rotate on a center axis for stability, if I had to guess on how this bullet operates I would say a subtle shifting of mass inside the bullet, probably very close to the center of mass to minimize tumbling.

I don't even use smart bullets in cyberpunk but real life smart snipers seem like a great idea