Could it really be true, as Rustem wrote? Take a look—those with professional expertise, please weigh in.
Was yesterday’s “combat avatar” actually a manipulator arm from the ISS? Formally, of course, a manipulator is indeed an avatar, but come on...
If it’s true, it’s an absolutely monstrous disgrace.
Judging by the way Rogozin can barely hold back his laughter, it seems to be true.
The whole essence of the current regime in Russia is imitation. Elections, parliament, government, social institutions, economic policy—it is all one continuous imitation. Sometimes it becomes downright absurd, as it did today, for example. Putin was taken to some testing ground and shown the SAR-401 mechanical manipulator, which about three years ago they wanted to adapt for spacewalk operations on the ISS.
As I recall, that project never went anywhere. Now, riding the wave of Russia’s militaristic hysteria, they have invented a different purpose for it—they dressed it in camouflage, put it on an ATV, and, calling the whole thing a combat avatar robot, staged a circus performance for the boss:
It’s a joke, really. First, this is not a robot at all, but an ordinary manipulator controlled by an operator at a console, simply mirroring the operator’s movements. Second, it has no practical use in combat and cannot possibly have any—this is pure fiction. And, by the way, that was obvious even from Putin’s gloomy reaction—he seemed to realize that he was being blatantly taken for a ride. No shame, no conscience, in a word. FROM HERE
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