Tiny recon robots herald new generation of drones

[xchrom]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/13/us-arms-drones-idUSBRE98C0L520130913

(Reuters) - Ex-U.S. Marine Ernest Langdon pulls a pin and throws a small black object onto the ground. But it doesn't explode. Instead, the robot rights itself and swiftly scuttles away, feeding infrared video back to a small radio control screen.

Unmanned drones have become an almost ubiquitous presence on the battlefield for U.S. and other high-tech forces.

But the market for remote controlled vehicles is evolving from the sometimes multi-tonne craft that patrol the skies over Afghanistan or Yemen, carrying out reconnaissance and targeted strikes, to tiny robots that police and even film companies can use.

The top end of the market continues to be dominated by U.S. companies such as Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and General Atomics, formerly a division of General Dynamics and creator of the Predator and Reaper drones. Other major defense firms such as BAE Systems are pushing forward with next-generation drones with stealth and other features.

[greytdemocrat]

1. Pretty cool...

From a tech standpoint.

[Celefin]

2. Now give these micro-robots the ability to fly and equip them with a stinger

And send a few thousand of them at enemy lines.
Or protesters.

Nothing lethal (that would be against the CW), just something incredibly annoying. Combined with a high-pitched buzz so that you know there's a really nasty cloud coming.

You know it will happen. the perfect weapon to get people to disperse or out of building.

[MineralMan]

3. Sounds like the yellow jackets that plagued

our cook out family gathering yesterday.