Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Robotic Fly to Descend on New York

Posted by Zonk on from the now-you-can-be-the-fly-on-the-wall dept.

DeviceGuru writes "Harvard University's tiny microrobotic fly, hailed by its creators as 'the first robotic fly that is able to generate enough thrust to takeoff,' will be showcased at New York's Museum of Modern Art starting Feb. 24. The life-sized 'Flybot' reportedly has a wingspan of 1.2 inches (3 cm) and weighs a mere 0.002 ounces (60 mg). This project of the Harvard University Microbotics Lab has received funding from DARPA, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which hopes to gain access to micro-miniature surveillance technologies."

7 of 138 comments (clear)

  1. Good bye privacy by DeeQ · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Welcome Big brother!

    1. Re:Good bye privacy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I hope it's used to spy on government officials and secret boardroom dealings.

      Seriously, I'm beginning to think that's only thing that will save our civilization from the evil sociopaths in positions of power ... the knowledge that everything they do and say might be open to public surveillance and scrutiny. I'm actually willing to give up every last shred of my privacy if it also means the end of state secrets, evil backroom dealings, etc.

  2. I don't know what kind of flies they have in NY... by davidbrit2 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    ...But a fly with a 1.2 inch wingspan would be pretty damn conspicuous where I come from.

  3. Life size? by captaindomon · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Three centimeters wingspan is life-size? What kind of flies are they referring to? That's a pretty big fly. A real accomplishment would be a life-size, US house fly, ~0.5 centimeter wingspan.

    --
    Just because I can hook a shark from a boat, I do no offer to wrestle it in the water.
  4. Re:Won't be long now by Lumpy · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Bringing the rise of a new expression...

    "I wish my fly on the wall had batteries that lasted more than 15 minutes!"

    I don't care how small they make it, until it has hours of power in it, it's nothing but a expensive toy.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  5. Re:Cr@p! Sorry everyone! by Avatar8 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Exactly. From the description of the more complicated systems they still have to develop, I think they'd be better off working on micro cameras that a fly can carry and developing a way to control the fly's behavior (where to fly, when to land,etc.). Something more like the cockroach in "Fifth Element."

  6. a side point (probably offtopic) by rabiddeity · · Score: 2, Insightful

    "odd things like Li-Po batteries"

    First thought: Geez, they're putting Polonium in batteries now?

    After a quick googling: Nevermind.

    Please don't call it that. Li is an element, and readers will assume Po refers to the element as well. Li-Poly is much less misleading.