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Tiny Surveillance Aircraft Fly in Tucson

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the eye-spy dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Science Daily reports that thirteen teams from the United States, Korea and Germany will be in Tucson April 9-11 to compete for $6,000 in prize money during the 8th International Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) Competition. MAVs are tiny, radio-controlled airplanes that carry video cameras."

3 of 106 comments (clear)

  1. Interesting definition by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    MAV- micro air vehicle Its just the people who want to use them that dictates they have cameras, all the early ones were purely micro air vehicles, nothing more, just people proving they could make stuff that small that flew under remote control. Why doesnt it surprise me that someone not only found a questionable use for them, but managed to subvert the entire acronym?

    1. Re:Interesting definition by Feanturi · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Why doesnt it surprise me that someone not only found a questionable use for them...

      It's that "Good/Evil is in the user, not the tool" thing though. I would love to be able to fly a tiny little thing and wear goggles that let me see where "I'm" going. Sure, one could spy; or one could just have a grand ol' geeky time exploring hard to reach caves or condemned buildings or even network plenums.. Seems like having a camera on it is just a sensible way to control the thing. If the first ones didn't have that, well yeah, the tech was early still.

      I, for one, welcome our acronym-subverting overlords.

  2. Re:Do these people have morals? by rebeka+thomas · · Score: 5, Insightful

    do they care that the technology they're helping develop will be used to KILL people in future wars, perhaps even against their own country?

    I think nothing sums up the problem with american society today.

    Actually as a country the USA does more to save lives than it does to kill. Groundbreaking research in medical and safety innovations, in search and rescue, being at the head of the forefront when natural disasters strike around the world, more donations to foreign nations in need for food, medical supplies and fresh water, and better care worldwide in general due to US invention.

    I think if you look at the number of deaths it pales into insignificance. Let these kids play with their planes, it's all in fun

    --
    RST