Overwritten.net
Community => General Discussion => Topic started by: Pugnate on Tuesday, October 17, 2006, 10:41:08 AM
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linky. (http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_2028549.html?menu=)
Scientists develop robot flies
Military scientists in Britain are developing robot flies that could be sent to spy out enemy positions.
Project leader Dr Rafal Zbikowski believes the first machine insects could fly within ten years, reports the Scotsman.
He has already produced a non-airborne prototype that mimics the wing-beats of a hover fly.
Dr Zbikowski says the tiny drones could operate in confined and cluttered spaces within buildings, stairwells, tunnels or caves.
They could help locate hidden terrorists, or find victims of natural disasters such as earthquakes.
The US military, which is partly funding the research, has even expressed an interest in using the robots to deliver small explosive charges.
They would be the ultimate "smart" weapon, able to destroy a specific target - such as a computer - without having to bomb whole facilities.
Dr Zbikowski is based at the Defence College of Management and Technology at Cranfield University in Shrivenham, Oxfordshire.
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Wonder what the battery life is like on a battery the size of a fly brain.
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Sony: Sir you must recall the flies.
Government: Why? What's the problem?
Sony: This is embarrassing, but the batteries have a fault that causes them to unexpectedly explode.
Government: Oh god no! All those poor playboy bunnies!
Yes if I had one of those flies, I'd send it there. Unless I were Que. Then I'd equip it with poison and kill Hugh Hefner.
WHY QUE WHY?
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I never said I wanted to *kill* him.
Anyway, this is scary. Welcome to the Orwellian future. Well, in 10 years.
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I've been taking those D sarcasm classes as well.
Ok that doesn't make sense.
(http://www.public.asu.edu/~mverdic/pics/barbrady.JPG)