Editing Smart bullet (section)

== Guided bullet ==
The guided bullet was conceptualized by Dr. Rolin F. Barrett, Jr. and patented in August 1998.<ref>{{Cite web |title=US Patent for Guided bullet Patent (Patent # 5,788,178 issued August 4, 1998) - Justia Patents Search |url=https://patents.justia.com/patent/5788178 |access-date=2022-10-12 |website=patents.justia.com}}</ref>

As first designed, the bullet would have three [[fiber-optic]] based eyes (at minimum, for three-dimensionality), evenly distributed about its [[circumference]]. To activate its guided nature, a [[laser]] is pointed at a target. As the bullet approaches its final destination, it adjusts its flight path in real time to allow an equivalent amount of light from the laser to enter each eye. The bullet would not travel in multiple directions as though it were an [[autonomous vehicle]], but instead, would make small adjustments to its flight path to hit the target precisely where the laser was placed. Moreover, the laser would not have to originate from the source of the bullet, allowing the [[projectile]] to be fired at a target beyond visual range.<ref name=":0">“Feasibility Study of a Guided Bullet” (Louisiana Tech University Press 1996)</ref>

To allow the bullet to modify its flight path, the body was designed as a metal and [[polymer]] combination. The polymer would act as a deformable surface that would deflect the air-stream and steer the bullet in real time. The [[guidance system]] is powered by a miniature [[Lithium polymer battery|lithium-polymer battery]] that is connected to the navigational circuits.<ref name=":0" />

Barrett went to great lengths to model the airflow of the bullet, studying [[Butterfly|butterflies]] with speed bumps to evaluate the effects of protruding surfaces. Due to a lack of [[Ballistics|ballistic programs]] at the time, custom simulations were written in [[Mathcad]] to solve for numerous flight variables. In addition to modeling the flight, the [[interior ballistics]] were modeled by continuously altering [[polynomial curve]]s until they were in agreement with publicly available data. Due to a lack of available [[terminal ballistics]] data that would have been representative of the guided bullet, the data was compared to that of [[large game]] hunting bullets.<ref>Interview with Dr. Rolin F. Barrett, Jr (July 2020), Inventor on [https://patents.justia.com/patent/5788178 Guided bullet]</ref>