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| Fake Fly Will Be Spy In The Sky |
| 2007-08-01 |
| A spy in the sky not much bigger than a fly has been developed by a top American university. Scientists at Harvard have invented a robotic fly to send on reconnaissance missions in areas too dangerous for humans, such as those contaminated by chemical or biological weapons. It can also be used to find hidden bombs and in search missions. The "flybot", which can fit on a fingertip, is made of lightweight carbon and weighs less than a pin. Researchers, led by Professor Robert Wood, spent seven years on the project with the backing of the US military. "The real benefit of the fly is that from a military aspect, you probably wouldn't be able to notice it," said Prof Wood. |
| Posted by:JohnQC |
| #15 "Won't notice it" > won't speak for others, but for myself smashed a few early prototypes at Penn State over a decade ago. Didn't have my permission = reasonable legal notice to fly thru my domicile so whacked they were for airspace violations. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2007-08-01 20:50 |
| #14 Ooh, I like the shape charge idea. Better than the old "exploding cell phone" gag any day. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2007-08-01 17:05 |
| #13 Now all we have to do is figure out how to get it to carry one of those 2000lb. bombs I know this is heresy to the MOAB crew here at Rantburg, but have you guys noticed that bombs, in general, are getting smaller? (yeah, yeah, MOAB, FAE, bunker busters, etc. But these are special purpose devices; not suited for everyday blowing-stuff-up.) The ability to place ordnance precisely trumps quantity. Why carpet bomb a factory when you can send guided weapons thru the 3rd window on the left on the 2nd floor? Sometimes we simply drop rocks on bad guys because a 1/4 ton chunk of concrete, accurately placed, can do the job and not lower neighborhood property values. Deploying sensors will be the first use for teensy UAVs, but imagine being able to place a few grams of high explosive shaped charge on the nose of some baddie. Surprise, surprise! |
| Posted by: SteveS 2007-08-01 14:32 |
| #12 #11 Now fit it with a needle and let a whole swarm of them go about infecting the jihadis with some wretched pox. Posted by: bigjim-ky 2007-08-01 11:14 No need, Big Jim, the Imams are doing that for us with their fatwas against immunizations. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2007-08-01 12:35 |
| #11 Now fit it with a needle and let a whole swarm of them go about infecting the jihadis with some wretched pox. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2007-08-01 11:14 |
| #10 Liberal Fatwa on these Profs for collaborating with the military in 3, 2, 1.... |
| Posted by: BA 2007-08-01 11:08 |
| #9 InjunG, "cannot control the flight" I was not being facetious about swarm theory. Given enough 'flies', the 'control' problem can be made to self-correct. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2007-08-01 10:25 |
| #8 If I were the bad guys, I'd be seriously paranoid about now. The Iranians are already arresting squirrels. To paraphrase Arthur C. Clarke, any technology you don't understand is indistinquishable from magic. |
| Posted by: Formerly Dan 2007-08-01 09:58 |
| #7 Note that the article indicates it can fly, but they cannot control the flight. Sounds like they need a fly brain. Being at Harvard and all, maybe they just need to drop in on the "liberal arts" side of campus. |
| Posted by: Injun Groque2291 2007-08-01 09:48 |
| #6 Now all we have to do is figure out how to get it to carry one of those 2000lb. bombs |
| Posted by: Captain Lewis 2007-08-01 09:46 |
| #5 Simple solution for the bad guys: fill the air with insecticide. Anything that doesn't drop dead is a spy. |
| Posted by: Rambler 2007-08-01 08:58 |
| #4 If I were the bad guys, I'd be seriously paranoid about now. |
| Posted by: Mike 2007-08-01 08:15 |
| #3 Now if only we needed to gather military intelligence someplace where there were flies, so our little recon fly might not be noticed. I bet if we sent them where there are LOTS of flies, and program them using swarm theory, they could home right in on the top baddies (the ones that smell the most like the rear ends of goats & camels). Next project - equipping the little guys with stingers full of poison. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2007-08-01 07:13 |
| #2 Gotta have a camera already, otherwise it's no good for reconnaissance missions. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2007-08-01 06:16 |
| #1 Hee hee! Now all we have to do is figure out how to get it to carry one of those itty-bitty cameras and we're in business! |
| Posted by: gorb 2007-08-01 00:18 |