Hey, you know how you’re playing Mario Kart, and you hear that alarm which basically announces you’re getting wiped out for being better than everyone else? EXACTO is like that, except there’s no warning. Also, it’s real. Also, you die.
This isn’t the first time the homing bullet has made headlines, but it’s the first time a demonstration has been so dramatic. Basically as long as you keep a laser on the target, the target is getting a bullet.
Developed by, guess who, DARPA, the idea is that snipers can better compensate for extreme conditions. Contrary to what most video games teach you, sniping is actually a very careful discipline that requires a lot of math, planning, and forethought. You don’t just point and click… although this does make that a bit more possible. DARPA is keeping just how this works under wraps, but the previous version of this used an onboard computer and fins to target the bullet.
If you’re worried that lunatics with expensive sniper rifles will get their hands on these bullets, don’t be. This is military ordinance and will be limited to elite military units, which the guard at your local mall is not a member of no matter how many knives he buys. He’ll just have to settle for the rifle scope that claims to achieve the same effect.