Military developing robot-insect cyborgs

[Soylent Brice]

Miniature robots could be good spies, but researchers now are experimenting with insect cyborgs or "cybugs" that could work even better.

Scientists can already control the flight of real moths using implanted devices.

The military and spy world no doubt would love tiny, live camera-wielding versions of Predator drones that could fly undetected into places where no human could ever go to snoop on the enemy. Developing such robots has proven a challenge so far, with one major hurdle being inventing an energy source for the droids that is both low weight and high power. Still, evidence that such machines are possible is ample in nature in the form of insects, which convert biological energy into flight.

more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31906641/ns/technology_and_science-science/

[el_bryanto]

1. Puts a new twist on the Swarm, doesn't it?

Bryant

[Soylent Brice]

2. i hesitated on my two cents, but here it is:

the implants they're referring to, i find it funny that they'll invest that kind of money into technology that will be strapped to a lifeform with a lifespan of days to weeks.

seems awfully wasteful, regardless of how cool the technology might be.

[Posteritatis]

13. Depends on the situation

Say, search and rescue in the case of a building or mine collapse? Hell yeah.

A lot of military applications don't stay military.

[Soylent Brice]

14. true. and then again most technology never ends up being used

for its originally intended purpose either.

thanks for the perspective.

[The_Casual_Observer]

3. In the mean time they continue to be out-witted by darkage warlords

and tribesmen. But maybe the moth will do the trick if enough money is spent on it.

[Soylent Brice]

5. exactly.

you know they must chuckle every time they hear something like this.

[wroberts189]

4. Bug bombs? How about using that money for healthcare?

Or new developing forms of energy ?

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. Minority Report, anyone?

[formercia]

7. The Fifth Element

Someone watched it too many times.

[Soylent Brice]

9. yup...

[formercia]

10. A well placed shoe took care of that

along with popped ear drums. :rofl:

[bushmeister0]

8. Another DARPA boondogle?

In addition to helping soldiers fight here's another insidious use for these Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs):

How Things Work:

"In July 2000, the United States Patent Office awarded a patent to Georgia Tech Research Corporation for Michelson's invention of the Entomopter, also called a multimodal electromechanical insect. The Entomopter is being designed for possible indoor operations, according to U.S. Patent Number 6,082,671. It will mimic the fight of an insect by flapping its wings to generate lift. In addition, researchers are studying ways for the Entomopter to navigate hallways and ventilation systems and crawl under doors."

http://www.howstuffworks.com/spy-fly.htm/printable

That fly on the wall might just be the US gov checking up on you . . .

[Caliman73]

11. And soon they will be given artificial intelligence.....

They'll become self aware, decide that humans are not necessary anymore, etc...etc...

Don't we learn?

[AllentownJake]

12. I'm already a Cylon

so I'm not that worried...

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. When science fiction becomes science fact

lovely huh?

There are days I wonder, should I just hang up my shingle?