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Tiny Surveillance Aircraft Fly in Tucson
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."
If your very expensive micro/nano surveilance device was defeated by chick-a-dees? (or any other small avian). Really what would keep songbirds from trying to eat these? or raptors from taking down the bigger ones by mistake?
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/robotics/2 001/1/MicroWarfare/print.phtml
more on microjet at
http://defence-data.com/f2000/pagefa1006.htm
You're right, technology should never be brought to war. We should go back to carpet bombing instead of laser guided munitions. We should go back to sending scouts in instead of video cameras, so they can get shot. Hell, let's go back to hand-to-hand bloodbaths.
Wars are going to happen, period. Politicians are just as willing to kill 1000 as 10 to achieve their goals. It's naieve to think that they'll be more likely to go to war because we have a camera in an RC plane.
The most likely result of having spy planes like this would be LESS casualties. Imagine being able to fly a video fly into a building where there's a hostage crisis going on and getting real time video. Imagine flying into a mosque and having video telling you who's in there, where, etc. The place could easily be filled with civilians, and we'd avoid attacking them. Or, it could be filled with armed troups, and we'd have proof to the world that we're justified in attacking.
Almost all war-related technological innovation of the last 50 years has been targeted at reducing civilian casualties, collateral damage, and exposure of our own troops to fire.
Vision-Guided Flight for MAVs
Looks like these little blighters can be tricky to fly, they are using a computer to track the horizon to help keep them level.
I always thought it would be beter just to shrink the camera, and transmitter/receiver so they are small enough to be carried by an insect (maybe a wasp or a locust) and let the insect carry the equipment around. Then the operator could provide sensory stimulus to the insect by radio feedback, and direct it (forward, backward, left, right, up down). Then there is no power supply to worry about (power drawn from the insect's own potentials or maybe peizo electric from the wing flapping) and the insect can refuel itself by visiting flowers/ jam sandwiches or enemy picnics.