"Fuji School Mametan Research Annex" by Yuri Shibamura of "Marginal Operation" is a must-read for every researcher in Japan.

"Mametan" is a small (1 meter x 1 meter x 1 meter) robot tank that also appears in Marginal Operations.

Detailed specifications for "Mametan" were included, which were not listed in "Marginal Operation."

With all this information, I thought the author could generate a blueprint of "Mametan" in CAD, but unfortunately, there was no blueprint in the book.

However, I thought,

If this is detailed in CAD, the Chinese People's Liberation Army may develop it before the Japanese Ministry of Defense does."

It occurred to me that from the perspective of our national security, it may be the right thing to do not to generate blueprints in CAD.

(Of course, I think there are still some issues with "Mametan" in terms of operation in the field, but that's called "SF.")

Aside from that.

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I consider this book a must-read for all researchers in Japan because of the following three statements in particular.

(1) The essence of the technical presentation is described (p. 47)

- I thought about it as if I were a member of upper management. The need to put myself in the other person's shoes has become painfully apparent over the past few years as I have watched my seniors and superiors at work. Even if you think this is a good idea and make a presentation, if they don't accept it, they won't get it. You have to think carefully about the other person before you put your story together.

- The upper echelons are facing politicians who are even further above them. I thought that they might want equipment as a card to play for this purpose. What weapons do we have against people who don't know much about defense but who offer opinions and encouragement?

- What exactly would that be like? I began to write in my notebook and arrange the characteristics of people I didn't understand well.

- I wondered about men and summarized what they say when someone who doesn't know better takes an interest in something outside their expertise.

- The first question is, "How much is this? The next question was, "What do you use this for?

- Men would start saying things in a know-it-all way. (omitted). Anyway, if these two points are strong, I feel that I can make the upper class think that this research is worthwhile.

- First, price; second, novelty. That's what I wrote in my notebook.

(2) (One of) the national policies is described (p. 249).

- So, could I use other countries as battlefields to keep Japan out of the war? It was a difficult question for the engineers.

- I don't know how it will ultimately be used, and if I quit only, the others will do something about it, and I don't know if upper management is even thinking about that in the first place.

- I developed a new idea where "Mametan" supports other "Mametan." Since group stupidity manifests itself in route fixation, if there is a certain probability of Mametans performing supportive actions and fixated movements now, stupidity will be reduced!

- In a country, it is better to have people with various opinions and arguments, and it is better to have multiple patterns in Mametan so they are not ultimately stupid.

- Countries become stupid when they start going blindly forward as one.

(3) The "peace" specific to our country's circumstances is described (p. 250).

- "If Japan becomes a military power, that would be a problem for the Americans. The Americans would not want to see the return of the Japanese empire. Peace is the best way to prevent that from happening. As long as there is peace, Japan will not strengthen its military. Besides, some circumstances are unique to Japan."

- "Japan is not accustomed to war deaths. It has a declining birthrate and an aging population, just like China and Korea, but Japan has suffered few war deaths since the war. This is where those who do not wish Japan to enter the war can turn to for help. Politicians, leftists, and perhaps even China, South Korea, and North Korea."

- I thought Japan's peace constitution was why it did not go to war. However, I also believed that the deterrent power of the Constitution might be just that.

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The above may be a very "spoiler" statement.

I have taken care not to deviate from the scope of "Quotation (Article 32 of the Copyright Law)" as stated in the Copyright Handbook of the Agency for Cultural Affairs, but if I receive a complaint from Mr. Yuuri Shibamura or anyone else involved in publishing, I will immediately delete the article.

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Now, the book ends with an actual battle scene with "Mametan," in which the amazing "combat capability" of the distributed and cooperative robotic weapon is fully demonstrated.

What gave me chills was when Robot A measured the sniper target's position and Robot B made a long-range (2km) snipe shot from out of sight.

Even from my perspective as a researcher of distributed cooperative networks, this sniping seemed "entirely possible shortly.

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Incidentally, these "Mametan" seem to be mass-produced by the company I work for and Mitsubishi.

I was convinced that my company and Mitsubishi were the only two companies that could develop this robot, and that factory was the only one that could do it.

I have been fed up with the publishers' weak attitude of changing the newspaper's name from Yomiuri Shimbun or Asahi Shimbun to Yominichi Shimbun or Asauri Shimbun to get away with their deceptions. So I thought,

"I felt very comfortable with the fact that they properly disclosed the name of the company."

I don't know what the company's upper management thinks, but we are not a small-ass company that would be bothered by something like this. No problem.

My company is so generous as to let me go free, to begin with.