Exploring Hard SF Tactics in Space Combat

[GTOM]

And humans are vulnerable to bullets but we don't stop fighting. As flippant as that sounds there are any number of possible counter-measures but that doesn't mean they are a golden bullet, particularly in the case of "small missiles" I imagine there would issues of being able to accurately hit the target. Bird sized drones seem the type of thing to deploy in close-in environments i.e. in urban/buildings. Unless your missiles are also essentially bird drones it's hard to see how they would have the maneuverability in awkward places to hit the drones.

Otherwise as far as i know, IR reflects well from walls, doesn't that mean, that they can detect a drone behind walls before it arrives at a corner, due to IR reflected from a house?

 

[Ryan_m_b]

How hot is a drone? How hot is a human? Can you find any reference to IR cameras (they exist now) being used in this manner? You should be able to find all kinds of footage of this sort of situation. And to repeat an earlier point: if you really want your defenders to have some sort of "shoot round walls technology" as you seem to be why not simply give them access to the city's surveillance network?

Also on another note: avoid using the term droid, especially if you want to sell this work or even post it publicly online. The term is not generic, it's a copyrighted term owned by Lucas film (now owned by Disney) and they have a history of suing others that use it.

 

[GTOM]

The attack bots surely take out any cameras they can find at the invasion of the city.

http://www.stevequayle.com/index.php?s=237

I found this one about IR detection emission and reflect. It says clay and glaver has low emissivity (40%) thus high reflectivity (60%). Bricks are basically clay. Although the place is on Mars, but it think something similar can be used as building material.
Drones needs thrusters in thin martian air, they are hot things.
(Walkers of course less warm.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_(robot)

It says the term android is widely used, hmm so i can use it even if they don't look like humans? (I think they should have a scary look, but terminator surely reserved)

 

[Ryan_m_b]

The attack bots surely take out any cameras they can find at the invasion of the city.

Maybe but this assumes they know where they all are. Also as I said earlier in thread your setting is a space colony, it's going to need to have sensors up the wazoo! Humidity, pressure, temperature, atmospheric concentrations, radiation, audio, visual etcetera etcetera. Given that all of that is necessary for keeping the environment safe and functioning the attackers might not want to take it out (at least not as a general rule) given that they aim to keep things running when they have control.

http://www.stevequayle.com/index.php?s=237

I found this one about IR detection emission and reflect. It says clay and glaver has low emissivity (40%) thus high reflectivity (60%). Bricks are basically clay. Although the place is on Mars, but it think something similar can be used as building material.
Drones needs thrusters in thin martian air, they are hot things.
(Walkers of course less warm.)

UAVs don't make much sense in such thin atmosphere. I could see using them inside (maybe) but for anything else if they have the technology walking drones would be better.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_(robot)

It says the term android is widely used, hmm so i can use it even if they don't look like humans? (I think they should have a scary look, but terminator surely reserved)

Android means human like so your readers will expect that I'd imagine. As for being terminator like things can be made scary and kept functional.

 

[Drakkith]

Otherwise as far as i know, IR reflects well from walls, doesn't that mean, that they can detect a drone behind walls before it arrives at a corner, due to IR reflected from a house?

They might be able to see the reflections of IR off of the surrounding walls, which would let them know something hot is coming, but it's akin to watching for the reflection of light from mounted lightbulbs in the dark. You know something is there, but you don't necessarily know exactly what, where, how big, or how many.

Of course, hot industrial machinery, heating systems, and any other source of heat would render this mostly ineffective.

 

[GTOM]

Maybe but this assumes they know where they all are. Also as I said earlier in thread your setting is a space colony, it's going to need to have sensors up the wazoo! Humidity, pressure, temperature, atmospheric concentrations, radiation, audio, visual etcetera etcetera. Given that all of that is necessary for keeping the environment safe and functioning the attackers might not want to take it out (at least not as a general rule) given that they aim to keep things running when they have control.
UAVs don't make much sense in such thin atmosphere. I could see using them inside (maybe) but for anything else if they have the technology walking drones would be better.
Android means human like so your readers will expect that I'd imagine. As for being terminator like things can be made scary and kept functional.

Good points. If the systems give defenders a definite advantage the bots are ordered to take them out, the suburbs loose air and lots of soldiers die anyway, the rest of city will be enough for rest of people more or less. I thought high speed, ability to attack upper floors can make flyers useful, at least for support role.
Droid reserved, space marine reserved now, terminator reserved, android, walker improper, what is next? There has to be a term for humanoid combat bots.

 

[Drakkith]

Droid reserved, space marine reserved now, terminator reserved, android, walker improper, what is next? There has to be a term for humanoid combat bots.

As far as I know, only the term Droid is trademarked or patented or whatever the right word is. Space Marine certainly isn't reserved, nor are terminators, androids, walkers, etc.

 

[Ryan_m_b]

Good points. If the systems give defenders a definite advantage the bots are ordered to take them out, the suburbs loose air and lots of soldiers die anyway, the rest of city will be enough for rest of people more or less. I thought high speed, ability to attack upper floors can make flyers useful, at least for support role.

There can still be some flying drones and general support aircraft, I'm just saying that if walking drones are available and effective then they have more advantages than flying drones in closed-in environments with thin atmosphere.

Droid reserved, space marine reserved now, terminator reserved, android, walker improper, what is next? There has to be a term for humanoid combat bots.

As Drakkith said only "droid" is a copyrighted term.

 

[GTOM]

As far as I know, only the term Droid is trademarked or patented or whatever the right word is. Space Marine certainly isn't reserved, nor are terminators, androids, walkers, etc.

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/02/trademark-bully-thwarted-spots-space-marine-back-online

Ok, so space marines really not reserved. Then i make a new mosaic word with parts of humanoid robot.

 

[GTOM]

You said that i shouldn't view EMP as anti-electronic placenta. Ok bigger robots sure have enough protection, while even most traditionalist humans have pretty much electronics too, visors, powered armors with neural interface (and systems that sense pressure inside if limbs are moved) radars (waves reflected by a metal plate some distance from soldier, so if enemy sense the emission, they don't learn exact position of soldier) etc.
But is there any way of more effective electronic countermeasure, that requires only minor magitech? I read somewhere that cosmic rays can affect electronics, turn over a single bit could crash a program. While there are countermeasures for it, but if multiple Cpus programs have to check each other, than robots would be hindered.

 

[Drakkith]

You said that i shouldn't view EMP as anti-electronic placenta.

I think you mean panacea.

But is there any way of more effective electronic countermeasure, that requires only minor magitech?

Sure, there are innumerable solutions that require only a little bit of "handwaving". Just be creative.

I read somewhere that cosmic rays can affect electronics, turn over a single bit could crash a program. While there are countermeasures for it, but if multiple Cpus programs have to check each other, than robots would be hindered.

Maybe not if they're designed to operate with these CPU's and check-programs running. Or if they have redundant systems and can't be taken out because a single bit was flipped on one of their systems.