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The Wasp Micro Air Vehicle

Posted by samzenpus on from the small-pilots dept.

Victor Cheng writes "In developments that bring together a variety of technologies including robotics and digital imaging the Wasp Micro Air Vehicle is one of the Pentagon's latest tools currently in testing of the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group (although I'm thinking its not going to need a carrier to get this one up and flying). The 13 inch Wasp comes equipped with 2 video cameras, GPS and has a myriad of possible applications. Next time you hear something Buzzing around when you're at a family picnic you might think twice before swatting it could be an expensive action."

12 of 222 comments (clear)

  1. Swat it? by FirienFirien · · Score: 5, Funny

    Swatting a 13-inch wasp is unlikely. Scream and run away, or possibly even cower and say "I for one welcome our giant robot wasp overlords"...

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    1. Re:Swat it? by FirienFirien · · Score: 5, Interesting

      More seriously, I'm surprised by the size of it. It seems like an RC light powered plane with inbuilt gizmos in the wings - I had seriously expected the Pentagon to be a huge amount smaller than this, with a vague thought of hover. I guess without the wireless power (see the /. story, NASA prizes) available yet these things have to carry their own fuel, and then the structure needs to be larger and more supportive, enough physical strength to support power loading, and space for the gizmos. But... 13 inches. And since I don't have a concievable way of saying it without innuendo... that's BIG.

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    2. Re:Swat it? by MyLongNickName · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I don't think it is THAT big. It will be very useful for keeping an eye on a small area (say a block in Falluja) without being obvious. No, it is not designed to fly five foot over Osama without it being noticed. But this doesn't make it useless.

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    3. Re:Swat it? by hey! · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Suppose they had an autonomous surveillance vehicle that was literally the size of a housefly. Do you think they'd tell us?

      Not that I think such a thing could be built right now, but I'd be surprised if it wasn't on somebody's drawing board. American needs intelligence and loves technical fixes. If there's a technical solution to an intelligence problem, somebody's bound to be workig on it. Remember how US Navy subs tapped Soviet undersea communication cables right in their harbors?

      I actually surprised they acknowledge that something this size exists. It's small enough that it is probably hard to distinguish from a sea bird.

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  2. Yesterday's News by amigoro · · Score: 5, Informative
    The story is more than 2 years old.

    Slashdot: News for nerds, stuff that's stale.

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  3. A neat little toy... by HaloZero · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Question is, how close do you have to be to use it? I mean, it's got a whole bunch of applications, though it doesn't look very stealthy, other than it's size. The article(s) say that it's intended for use with ship-to-ship boardings, but nothing mentions it's actual operational range. I mean, if the thing isn't good for atleast 1500 feet (plus having enough power to make it through steel bulkheads if it has to go anyplace but topside), you might as well not use it. Also wonder how long the battery life is on that little gadget. I'm sure the US Navy thinks of them as disposable, so recharability isn't exactly priority, but with an electrical system sucking on power for both flight operations, two cameras, and an RF stream, it's got to have a nice big pair on it.

    Next question, where can I get one and how much?

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  4. Privacy by soniCron88 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "Next time you hear something Buzzing around when you're at a family picnic you might think twice before swatting it could be an expensive action."

    Like hell I'd pay for it. Gov't should be think twice before spying on its citizens. Especially at such a close range!

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    Digital Sailor
  5. Don't need a carrier for this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Maybe they've made a special 4 foot long mini-nimitz to go with it? That way you could fit an entire carrier group in your garden pond. How cool would that be?

  6. If you buzzed and took pictures at my picnic by Moraelin · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I do believe you'd get that thing swatted, stomped and whacked with a hammer/shovel/whatever-is-handy for good measure too. And you might be looking at a lawsuit too.

    Basically I see the point in this thing, but the metaphor in the summary is an awful one. That it's useful for a lot of other things, is obvious. But using it to annoy others and invade their privacy, is one use I'm not entirely looking forward to.

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  7. Read a little further... by tyroneking · · Score: 5, Interesting

    and you'll find this article (http://www.defensetech.org/archives/001084.html) which talks about an even stranger flying vehicle.

  8. Scales a little off? by dreamquick · · Score: 5, Funny

    "next time you hear something Buzzing around when you're at a family picnic"

    If its a 13 inch wasp (just over a foot), then quite frankly if something that size starts buzzing around a family picnic I doubt it would be able to hide from you all that well, and secondly I doubt anyone would be stupid enough to attack a foot-long wasp with a rolled up newspaper or magazine.

    If horror films have taught us nothing it's that when freakishly large mutant insects attack (TM) you just run and hope you aren't the extra with no name who's destined to die in the first 20 minutes.

    *sigh* Journalists these days...

  9. One possible application by Moggie68 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Search operation at sea. A couple of platoons of these could cover countless square kilometers in a hurry. You'd only need the spotters to monitor the video feed for any found subjects. Half the manpower as you'd skip the need for pilots.