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Tiny Flyer Navigates Like Fly

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the build-a-bigger-flyswatter dept.

Assassin bug writes to tell us the Discovery Channel is reporting on a new ultralight autonomous aircraft that could be the next 'fly on the wall'. From the article: "The 10-gram microflyer, being developed by a team of researchers lead by Dario Floreano at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, has a 36-centimeter (14-inch) wingspan. But it could one day be shrunk to insect size and used for search and rescue."

7 of 150 comments (clear)

  1. Search and rescue? by liliafan · · Score: 4, Funny
    It is kinda cool that they have developed this, but:

    But it could one day be shrunk to insect size and used for search and rescue.


    Who are they planning on rescuing? Commando Ants trained for search and destroy? I could even see this doing assasination missions, a little needle a nerve agent, but sorry search and destroy really?
    --
    GeekServ Unix Consulting Services (http://www.geekserv.com)
    1. Re:search and rescue? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      "sorry sir, due to a terrible miscalculation of scale, the entire fleet was swallowed by a small dog."

  2. Typo. by Tackhead · · Score: 4, Funny
    > The 10-gram microflyer, being developed by a team of researchers lead by Dario Floreano at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, has a 36-centimeter (14-inch) wingspan. But it could one day be shrunk to insect size and used for search and rescue.

    Hmm. "Search and rescue". Silly Swiss, neutral, impregnably-defended, makers of great chocolate, but they can't even spell "surveillance" right on a grant application! Sheesh.

  3. oh, the glorious misleading headlines by Horatio_Hellpop · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "Tiny" Flyer ?? // 36-centimeter (14-inch) wingspan//

    Sorry, but even most drunken sots would notice a fly with a *14-inch* wingspan.

    Post this when the wingspan is 1/16th inch.

    --
    Frammin' on the jim-jam, frippin' at the krotz!
  4. I can see it now.. by NorbrookC · · Score: 5, Funny

    search and rescue..

    "Well, we're lost. I hope someone is looking for us." (slap) "Damn bugs!"

  5. Easier idea by Dr.+Eggman · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Why build a fancy flight system to be swatted when we could just take a real fly, attach 2 tiny cameras (four if they're small enough, one for each direction) and a little zapper to zap its brain when it goes the wrong direction we want.

    --
    Demented But Determined.
    1. Re:Easier idea by suv4x4 · · Score: 5, Funny

      "Why build a fancy flight system to be swatted when we could just take a real fly, attach 2 tiny cameras (four if they're small enough, one for each direction) and a little zapper to zap its brain when it goes the wrong direction we want."

      If a fly with 4 cameras, a zapper and an antenna flies in, won't you become kinda suspicious?