Dragonfly or Insect Spy? Scientists at Work on Robobugs

Dragonfly or Insect Spy? Scientists at Work on Robobugs

www.washingtonpost.com

Sightings at political events in Washington and New York. Some suspect the insectlike drones are high-tech surveillance tools, perhaps deployed by the Department of Homeland Security.

Federally funded teams are even growing live insects with computer chips in them, with the goal of mounting spyware on their bodies and controlling their flight muscles remotely.

The CIA secretly developed a simple dragonfly snooper as long ago as the 1970s.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Oh man this technology makes me so paranoid!

www.washingtonpost.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Civilian sightings of robobugs unconfirmed

How Spy Flies Will Work

Our country is at war in an unfamiliar territory, and a battle is about to begin. Enemy ground troops are positioning themselves to form an attack on our army, located just 2 miles (3.2 km) away. However, the enemy doesn't know that its every move is being monitored by robotic insects equipped with tiny cameras, flying overhead. These tiny robotic flyers, called micro air vehicles (MAVs), will be able to buzz over enemy territory nearly unnoticed by the enemy troops below. Few would even look twice at these dime-sized flying robots.

Micromechanical Flying Insect (MFI) Project - Berkeley

The goal of the micromechanical flying insect (MFI) project is to develop a 25 mm (wingtip-to-wingtip) device capable of sustained autonomous flight. The MFI is designed based on biomimetic principles to capture some of the exceptional flight performance achieved by true flies. The high performance of true flies is based on large forces generated by non-steady state aerodynamics, a high power-to-weight ratio motor system, and a high-speed control system with tightly integrated visual and inertial sensors. Our design analysis shows us that piezoelectric actuators and flexible thorax structures can provide the needed power density and wing stroke, and that adequate power can be supplied by lithium batteries charged by solar cells.
The MFI project started in May 1998. In the first 3 years of this MURI grant, research concentrated on understanding fly flight aerodynamics and on analysis, design and fabrication of MFI actuators, thorax and wings. In August 2001, our MFI prototype (with 1 wing) showed thrust forces on a test stand. In September 2002, we switched our fabrication from folded stainless steel to carbon fiber. In March 2003 we demonstrated 500 microNewtons of lift from a single wing on a test stand. Since March 2003, we have been working on reducing weight, increasing actuator power density, increasing air frame strength, and improving wing control.

Dragonfly Spy Video

You may enjoy this pdf:

fir.epfl.ch...

The goal of this symposium is to advance the understanding of the biology, technology, and intelligence of small flying animals and robots by promoting an open discussion at the intersection of neurophysiology, ethology, zoology, micro-engineering, low-Reynolds aerodynamics, and artificial intelligence. Flying insects are marvelous micro-machines that provide source of inspiration for the realization of intelligent micro-robots capable of autonomous flight.

from here:

fir.epfl.ch...

Sri Oracle

So...how long until Apple puts on the market its iFly? This bugger is a tool like any other. It can be used for good or it can be used for evil. I'm one who looks past the tool to the one(s) who are using it. If the government wanted to get me, it'd be pretty darned easy. They know I'm addicted to computers. They'd zap my World of Warcraft account and of course I'd tell them whatever they'd want to know . These things will probably go unnoticed for the most part because many feel "well, what do we have to hide?". It's an interesting line (if there is one) between respecting people's privacy rights and the government's need to know/public information.

Ok, don't laugh, but I have seen these every time I jump in my pool. At first there was just one. But after a couple of days 3 more showed up. I wasn't sure what they were because I had never seen a dragonfly that looked like these and they were quite large.

They were about 6 inches in length with a flat, black panel on top of their back above the wings and behind the head. The panel was about 1/2 inch in length and looked like a computer chip or a tiny solar panel.

I searched every website I could find to see if I could find one that looked like these but to no avail.

So, I grabbed my digital recorder and tried to shoot one of them. But believe it or not, every time I pulled it out they moved away then returned when I set it down. I did manage to get a shot of one but it was so jumpy and out or range that it was just plain crap. So I bought a stand for the camera and am going to try once more with someone else shooting them from my deck.

I didnt want to post anything until I got a decent shot.

[edit on 10/9/07 by rezial666]

Okay, this is too weird.

Since I joined ATS this summer, I have noticed common houseflies coming and landing on the frame around the screen of my laptop. I 'noticed' it and it always seems to be when I am on ATS. I wondered if I were being paranoid, or if the wifi was somehow attracting them. It is weird, I don't see them, unless I am logged into ATS. I have looked around the house, and they are not around.

I am not delusional. That is why I didn't post a thread titled "Houseflies spying on ATS Users" or something like that. This thread gives my theroy a bit of credibility, although I can't imagine I 'know' enough secrets for it to be a worry.

I should also note, that the flies have also buzzed me for no reason when I was on sensitive threads....

DocMoreau

PS... Guess 'who' just arrived? Thats right... haven't seen him in a few days... weird

It'd be cool if you could get a shot. Makes sense that if they see you, if you reach for a camera they'd bugger-off. I'd like to whack one (sorry U.S. gov) just to have my own. If they move like actual bugs, shouldn't bee too difficult, no? I wonder if these critters have caused some 'confusion' in nature with the real deal. Dragonfly thoughts: "Woooweee, she's cute but she's such a tease..."

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That's so cool...in a weird way..

Wow that'd be freaky. Imagine if they're able to incorporate this into real bugs, or make their fake bugs look like real bugs

Very scary stuff.

I haven't had a bug friend show up yet. I'll be looking for him though.

Scientists have probably been working on them for years and they let Hollywood slowly aclimate us to the idea of these microsized slueths...