[politics] So Hoverboard Soldiers are a thing now?

[generals3]

Now we wait until Trump decides he needs to have one of those next 4th of July.

Anyway, I think this was more about the show rather than actual (potential) future military usefulness.

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

So what's next Hoverboard Police? When will the US be getting these? I guess we already have Biff as president might as well get our hoverboards by now. With the mind communication helmet and their hoverboards modern warfare will start to become strange...

Hoverboard soldiers seem to me to be - for the most part - a totally terrible idea.

One of the key elements of gun warfare is taking cover. Where are they getting any of that in the sky on their hoverboards? The best hope is to be a moving target, but then they can't effectively aim either. Also, flak has been a thing for a long time. And if a hoverboard soldier is hit, god help them getting medical attention (presumably they'll have a tether and the hoverboard will hover without them if they fall off). Really, if you want some sort of floaty weapon platform, use a drone.

Police and for general observation it might be more useful, because of the vastly reduced chance anyone's going to be firing back.

Though when I think about it, this might actually be useful to traffic cops so they don't get run over directing traffic, or for monitoring crowds to be able to get help to someone in a crowded area faster. Though that may also be negated by people likely not being able to be standing under the jets on this thing without being burnt. It may have more usefulness in the circus than actual implementation due to the likely hazards associated. I am not sure how this works.. they said it is like a jet pack and uses gas, so I would think it would get hot.

 

[Agema]

Though when I think about it, this might actually be useful to traffic cops so they don't get run over directing traffic, or for monitoring crowds to be able to get help to someone in a crowded area faster. Though that may also be negated by people likely not being able to be standing under the jets on this thing without being burnt. It may have more usefulness in the circus than actual implementation due to the likely hazards associated. I am not sure how this works.. they said it is like a jet pack and uses gas, so I would think it would get hot.

I agree. I think any job that requires mobility and observation makes it pretty handy. Sort of like a (presumably) low cost helicopter.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

I agree. I think any job that requires mobility and observation makes it pretty handy. Sort of like a (presumably) low cost helicopter.

I suppose, so long as whatever you'd be doing doesn't take long and you're somewhere you can be very loud.
6-10 minute flight time on a full fuel load and 110-115 dB is going to limit your applications.

 

[CaitSeith]

You know what soldiers LOVE having in a combat zone?

Cover.

I imagine it is anything but quiet and has a severely limited fuel capacity. Requires specific training, expensive equipment, for an item that can transport ONE soldier quickly across the battlefield. We already have devices that can do that, they're called helicopters, and they can transport far more than one soldier and typically can do so over a greater distance.

Probably not intended for soldiers in combat zone.

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

I agree. I think any job that requires mobility and observation makes it pretty handy. Sort of like a (presumably) low cost helicopter.

I suppose, so long as whatever you'd be doing doesn't take long and you're somewhere you can be very loud.
6-10 minute flight time on a full fuel load and 110-115 dB is going to limit your applications.

Yes, but it is also much easier to transport than a helicopter. You could likely carry this around in the trunk of a car and use it to get to areas where people or animals are trapped that you cannot get vehicles or help to quickly otherwise.

When they had a 150 acre fire here a few years ago, they could not even get firefighters to an area to save some of the animals trapped down near a creek and they were trying everything from 4 wheelers and ropes to try to get to them in time but it was extremely difficult to get people down to their location to be able to secure the animals to pull them out due to location with brush and debris in between them interfering withe ropes. Something like this could be useful to do such as long as there is a safe place to deboard and it is not too difficult getting off and back on the thing.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

snip

Yes, but it is also much easier to transport than a helicopter. You could likely carry this around in the trunk of a car and use it to get to areas where people or animals are trapped that you cannot get vehicles or help to quickly otherwise.

When they had a 150 acre fire here a few years ago, they could not even get firefighters to an area to save some of the animals trapped down near a creek and they were trying everything from 4 wheelers and ropes to try to get to them in time but it was extremely difficult to get people down to their location to be able to secure the animals to pull them out due to location with brush and debris in between them interfering withe ropes. Something like this could be useful to do such as long as there is a safe place to deboard and it is not too difficult getting off and back on the thing.

That could work, I suppose. I'd say the flight time would need to go up to something like 30 minutes first to make them more practical. Also, lets you put the supply of jet fuel you'd need bring to run them for longer than 10 minutes further away from the danger zone while still getting enough operational time to get shit done.

 

[Trunkage]

You know what soldiers LOVE having in a combat zone?

Cover.

I imagine it is anything but quiet and has a severely limited fuel capacity. Requires specific training, expensive equipment, for an item that can transport ONE soldier quickly across the battlefield. We already have devices that can do that, they're called helicopters, and they can transport far more than one soldier and typically can do so over a greater distance.

Save for the passenger allowance, I'll bet there were loads of officers out there that had the exact same complaints when helicopters were first introduced. And when submarines were first proposed. And military aircraft in general. And the car.

Good thing we all listened to those tunnel visioned complaints, hey?

Because some people were wrong with their criticism in the past does not mean all criticism is wrong. There are far more failed introductions into the military than successful ones.

To extend on this, one thing I dislike about science is how people romanticise it so much. (It's not science fault, it's just the way we do thing.) There were so many failed ideas, and when we learn about science, we only learn the ones that succeeded. Einstein was correct on a bunch of things but incorrect on more. He adapted and changed to new information.

Science usually welcomes criticism because that how you become more accurate.

 

[Gordon_4_v1legacy]

I may not see military applications for this but I do see a new extreme sport category in the making.

 

[Drathnoxis]

Ah yes, because we all know that the Bastille was stormed by people on hoverboards. 0_0

I wonder if the Americans used them to capture all those airports in the war of 1812.

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

Ah yes, because we all know that the Bastille was stormed by people on hoverboards. 0_0

Because someone had to.

AHHHHHHHH!!!!

 

[Terminal Blue]

Because someone had to.

 

[Palindromemordnilap_v1legacy]

So how long until he's wearing a Halloween mask and fighting Spider-Man?

Wait, shit, hang on, does this mean the Marvel films might be able to give us Tom Holland fighting a Green Goblin who is realised with no CGI? An actual costume riding an actual glider making things actually explode...

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

Because someone had to.

That one is even better! I love it! <3

 

[Eacaraxe_v1legacy]

You know what soldiers LOVE having in a combat zone?

Cover.

People can't see you surrender if you're in defilade.

 

[Kwak]

...Holy shit this is a real thing. And us Americans don?t even have real hover boards yet!

Now only if they could do something about that vulnerability issue...

Why? Watching them spiralling wildly out of control to earth is the best possible part of this.

 

[Kwak]

I think any job that requires mobility and observation makes it pretty handy. Sort of like a (presumably) low cost helicopter.

What couldn't a remote drone do just as well?