Smart grass

[unixronin]

Synthetic grass, described as like smart Astroturf, could be the latest thing in automatically detecting and repelling intruders.  The new silica-based artificial grass, say researchers, contains not only piezoelectric crystals for power and micro-electromechanical actuators that enable the "grass" blades to detect and change their own orientation to actively oppose an intruder's progress, but tiny gate-logic arrays in the individual blades are networked together through the root complex to enable the entire expanse of grass to "think" and react without human intervention.

The first test installation of the smart grass, at Secure Corp's headquarters in Fairfax, VA, features a hundred-meter wide band of "smart grass" completely enclosing the facility, bordered by inner and outer ring roads, replacing a double wire fence with a pleasant parkway that doesn't even look like a security measure.  Public traffic is permitted on the parkway for a nominal per-vehicle toll.

"We felt this was the best configuration for a good secure perimeter," said Secure Corp founder Iyam A. Hochs.  "Any student of history can show that many of the most successful defences have depended on two-ANDed swards backed up by pikes."

Comments

[dafydd.livejournal.com]

Link?

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

You've been had. I was had until the last line. Then I got the joke... oh, RIGHT. Read the founder's name aloud....

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

You right sure this didn't belong in puns? ;)

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Didn't know there was one. But since you mention it ... I'll check it out. :)

[rain-manpnw.livejournal.com]

Ah, but this defense (de fence?) can be defeated with a sharp wit, for as everyone knows ...

The pun is mightier than the sward.

[rbos.livejournal.com]

good holy god that hurt.

[bbwoof.livejournal.com]

Ow! When you walk on this...

You should be shod!

[beckyzoole.livejournal.com]

This verges on being corny. But I like it anyway!

[sierra-nevada.livejournal.com]

A lawn that acted as a detection perimeter would be nice, though there would be a problem deploying it in a lot of places: snow.

You'd also have to deal with false threat detections from critters.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

It's a joke, son, a joke Ah say. ;)
</foghorn_leghorn>

[sierra-nevada.livejournal.com]

Yah, I saw that, but it just got me thinkin' for a bit...

[cymrullewes.livejournal.com]

Yup. His jokes tend to do the same thing for me.

*grin* Another reason I enjoy living with him.