I know this isn't exactly wearbles associated but i figured some of you programmers in the group would get a kick out of this... > I don't know about the validity of this, but it is a great software > development story. > ---------------- > CARELESS CODE RECYCLING CAUSES KILLER KANGAS > > Mutant Marsupials Take Up Arms Against Australian Air Force > > The reuse of some object-oriented code has caused tactical headaches > for Australia's armed forces. As virtual reality simulators assume > larger roles in helicopter combat training, programmers have gone to > great lengths to increase the realism of their scenarios, including > detailed landscapes and - in the case of the Northern Territory's > Operation Phoenix- herds of kangaroos (since disturbed animals might > well give away a helicopter's position). > > The head of the Defense Science & Technology Organization's Land > Operations/Simulation division reportedly instructed developers to > model the local marsupials' movements and reactions to helicopters. > Being efficient programmers, they just re-appropriated some code > originally used to model infantry detachment reactions under the > same stimuli, changed the mapped icon from a soldier to a kangaroo, > and increased the figures' speed of movement. > > Eager to demonstrate their flying skills for some visiting American > pilots, the hotshot Aussies "buzzed" the virtual kangaroos in low > flight during a simulation. The kangaroos scattered, as predicted, > and the visiting Americans nodded appreciatively... then did a > double-take as the kangaroos reappeared from behind a hill and > launched a barrage of Stinger missiles at the hapless helicopter. > (Apparently the programmers had forgotten to remove that part of the > infantry coding.) > > The lesson? > > Objects are defined with certain attributes, and any new object > defined in terms of an old one inherits all the attributes. The > embarrassed programmers had learned to be careful when reusing > object-oriented code, and the Yanks left with a newfound respect for > Australian wildlife. > > Simulator supervisors report that pilots from that point onward have > strictly avoided kangaroos, just as they were meant to. > > -- From June 15, 1999 Defense Science and Technology Organization > Lecture Series, Melbourne, Australia, and staff reports -- Subcription/unsubscription/info requests: send e-mail with subject of "subscribe", "unsubscribe", or "info" toWear-Hard Mailing List Archive (searchable): http://wearables.blu.org
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