Have to get one of these

karl tyrrell

US military developing insect surveillance drones

File photo shows an insect-sized spy drone.
Sat Jul 28, 2012 4:58PM GMT

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Reports indicate the US military has poured huge sums of money into surveillance drone miniaturization and is developing micro aircraft which now come in a swarm of bug-sized flying spies.


According to various internet sources, a team of researchers at the Johns Hopkins University in conjunction with the US Air Force Office of Scientific Research at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Arlington, Virginia, is helping develop what they are calling a micro aerial vehicle (MAV) that will undertake various espionage tasks.

The robotic insect can effortlessly infiltrate urban areas, where dense concentrations of buildings and people, along with unpredictable winds and other obstacles make it impractical.

It can be controlled from a great distance and is equipped with a camera and a built-in microphone.

The new device has the capability to land precisely on human skin, use its super-micron sized needle to take DNA samples and fly off again at speed. All people feel is the pain of a mosquito bite without the burning sensation and the swelling of course.

The hard-to-detect surveillance drone can also inject a micro radio frequency identification (RFID) tracking device right under skin, and can be used to inject toxins into enemies during wars.

As early as in 2007, the US government was accused of secretly developing robotic insect spies when anti-war protesters in the United States saw some flying objects similar to dragonflies or little helicopters hovering above them.

The US is not alone in miniaturizing drones that imitate nature: France, the Netherlands and Israel are also developing similar devices.

France has developed flapping wing bio-inspired micro drones. The Netherlands BioMAV (Biologically Inspired AI for Micro Aerial Vehicles) has also built Parrot AR drones.

Meanwhile, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has produced a butterfly-shaped drone, weighing just 20 grams, which can gather intelligence inside buildings.

The insect drone, with its 0.15-gram camera and memory card, is managed remotely with a special helmet. Putting on the helmet, the operator finds themselves in the “butterfly’s cockpit” and virtually sees what the butterfly sees in real time.

MP/JR/IS
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Comments

Capt'n Midnight

since OP didn't post a link to the Iranian site the article came from.

http://www.presstv.com/detail/2012/07/28/253223/us-developing-robot-mosquito-spy-drones/

Shryke

Richie Rich had one.

karl tyrrell

It would be handy to spy on the barcelona training ground or big brohter on your neighbours.

Tombi!

Hang on, this thing is practially tiny and you see what it sees...

So can I go perving with it?

Senna

Someone took the old adage "i'd love to be a fly on that wall" and made it happen.

The Dagda

How is it powered?

ejmaztec

The Dagda wrote: »

How is it powered?

High octane bullsh1t.

Pottler

The quiet fact that the US is assassinating people (I hate the word "Terrorist", one mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter) daily using drones equipped with air to ground missiles goes pretty much unremarked. Pakistan kicked up a fuss recently over the level of unmanned drone attacks on its citizens resulting in large numbers of casualties. It's a bit of a bummer if the guy killing you is sitting at a control station/monitor somewhere in Virginia while you drive your Hilux across the Pashtun.
Minaturisation happens in every field, soon it will be possible for a drone to blow you away using a mini-hypodermic while hovering beside you. Good development? Unlikly. Terminator scenario rapidly approaching? I'd say we're well past that point, but the terminators fly at 20,000 ft and you don't even hear them, let alone fight them.

rubadubduba

you'ed loose that in a gust of wind.

Colmustard

I always knew those bluebottles are darn commy spies.

ejmaztec

Colmustard wrote: »

I always knew those bluebottles are darn commy spies.

Redbottles.

previous user

You know what would be a better use for these, to pollinate the many crops that are left idle because of the dying population of bees around the world.

Ghandee

Shryke wrote: »

Richie Rich had one.

So duz special agent oso, the unique stuffed bear....

senorwipesalot

In other news, Vapona report increased sales in North Korea.

Capt'n Midnight

Pottler wrote: »

Terminator scenario rapidly approaching? I'd say we're well past that point, but the terminators fly at 20,000 ft and you don't even hear them, let alone fight them.

https://xkcd.com/652/ 21 Oct 2009 We live in a world where there are actual fleets of robot assassins patrolling the skies. At some point there, we left the present and entered the future.

Richard Hillman

Iran :pac:

It will happen eventually though and being a fly on the wall wont be just an expression anymore. There wont be a lady with an open window again :pac: