Scientists working on bug-sized spies

[theblackalchemist]

Scientists working on bug-sized spies

Dayton: US military engineers are designing flying robots disguised as insects that could, one day, spy on enemies and conduct dangerous missions without risking lives.

 

Called Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs), this next generation of drones could be as tiny as bumblebees. They would be capable of flying undetected into buildings, where they could photograph, record, and even attack insurgents and terrorists.

 

The team at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) plans to start by developing a bird-sized robot as soon as 2015, followed by the insect-sized models by 2030.

 

Scientists envision the bird-sized vehicles as being able to spy on adversaries by flying into cities and perching on building ledges or power lines. The robot would have flappable wings as a disguise, but use a separate propulsion system to fly.

 

“The flapping is more so people don’t notice it,” said team leader Greg Parker. “They think it’s a bird.”

 

Unlike the bird-sized vehicles, the insect-sized ones would actually use flappable wings to fly, Parker said.

 

He said engineers want to build an MAV with a 1-inch wingspan, possibly made of an elastic material.

 

 

Mumbai Mirror - Scientists working on bug-sized spies, Tech - TechTalk,Mumbai Mirror