As if combat isn't scary enough, imagine a future where bullets zip around, homing in on laser guided targets and doing a deadly dance in the air, curving and rolling until they hit home.

Well, this future battlefield phenomenon isn't that far off, because Sandia National Laboratories have created a prototype for a self guided bullet that can hit a laser designated target from over a mile away. Here's how it works:

While in flight, the guided bullet collects information with an optical sensor and relays it to an eight bit central processing unit that controls electromagnetic actuators. You may think it’d be tough to load all this equipment onto a bullet, but the researchers say that the bullet’s diminutive size has actually made things easier. With a rocket, course adjustment is a slow, meticulous process. With the bullet, adjustments are so responsive that the guidance system can compensate for over-correction pretty easily, which gives everything a little extra wiggle room.

I hope someone creates bullet proof armor with laser targeting jammers before these suckers start flying!

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