DARPA showed off its Reconfigurable Wheel-Track (RWT) in a video, with the custom wheels shown to be able to transition from a standard round wheel into a triangular track, depending on terrain. DARPA boasts that the wheel will improve the "mobility, survivability, safety and effectiveness of future combat vehicles without piling on armor."
But social media users aren't too sure, arguing that the design promises none of those things and reminding DARPA that simplicity almost always defeats complicated on the battlefield.
Part of me wants to love this — part of me wants to remind DARPA that simple beats complicated on the battlefield every, single, time.
— GrumpyWO (@GrumpyWo) 24 июня 2018 г.
It's like having an extra AWD transmission coupling inside each of your spinning wheels. What could go wrong?
— Paul Mitchum (@PaulMitchum) 24 июня 2018 г.
Lmao
— Lee Cunningham (@dad2sixboys) 24 июня 2018 г.
Fixing a problem that doesn't exist.
And making it as over complicated as possible.
At some point while talking about drawing this idea, someone must have pointed out that there is NO real application for this technology,
Simpler solutions are already available.
It's going to reconfigure that Humvee from in-service to a broken stationary target with that much complexity.
— Eric (@cloneyourlover) 24 июня 2018 г.
That's bad ass but how does it do after taking a hit from an rpg?
— THE BEAR MINIMUM (@commando762) 24 июня 2018 г.
Others suggested that the wheel would be absolute nightmare for mechanics.
Cool, except for the mechanic needing empty space in the hub. Debris or rocks in one of them and it won't close making your truck off kilter.
— Ky Yeager (@sSlyght) 24 июня 2018 г.
Yeah, we can't keep simple ball joints and A arms from breaking every other day, but I'm sure those'll last.
— Nick Murica (@NicholasHeurich) 24 июня 2018 г.
We use these tracks on vehicles in Antarctica.
— Julie Howell (@Juliebuggs21) 24 июня 2018 г.
They suck. Every time they broke, they'd go into the shop, come back out and be broken again in a day.
Others still complained about the system's expense compared to standard wheels.
What problem are we trying to solve here? I mean we're going to spend what? 10 grand on some contraption that can be done by $400 tires?
— Dwight Roberson (@DRobersonPE) 24 июня 2018 г.
I wonder if that DARPA reconfigurable wheel can also reconfigure itself into public school funding, mental health services or a library.
— Andrew Motel (@wholesalefishes) 24 июня 2018 г.
"Hey congress, give us $10billion to literally reinvent the wheel"
— John Skinner (@skinnerj51) 24 июня 2018 г.
Naturally, the technical and cost complaints were also rounded out by the comments of a few jokers.
I’ve joked about people reinventing the square wheel. Oops…
— Steven Bellovin (@SteveBellovin) 24 июня 2018 г.
Solid tires? Half assed tracks?
— ROTOPE~1 (@RotoPenguin) 24 июня 2018 г.
How about combining tires with the power of TIGER CLAWS?https://t.co/TiZx14JdQl
