The Army's $10M Spy Bat Still Too Big

Lucas123 writes "The University of Michigan's Center for Objective Microelectronics and Biomimetic Advanced Technology (COM-BAT) is working on building a robot bat that would perform long-range reconnaissance for the U.S. Army, but U.Mich is currently struggling with miniaturizing components in order to make the bat small enough to be stealthy. 'The focus is to shrink down many electronics that while currently available would only be good if the US Army wanted, say, a 12-foot spy-bat.' Some components need to be 1,000 times smaller than they currently are. The Army's $10 million grant proposal calls for the bat to be six inches in length, weigh four ounces and use just one watt of power. The bat is supposed to be powered by a lithium-ion battery, charged by solar and wind energy, as well as simple vibrations."

Comments

Vampire?

[cayenne8]

Why not make a requirment to be a vampire bat?

It could feed on blood...and thus hurt the enemy, and generate power for long missions. It would be cool too, in that it would only come out at night, and could only be killed with a wooden stake.

:-)

Re:Vampire?

[Brian Gordon]

You hardly need some advanced chemical warfare; the thing is 12 feet across, you can just armor plate it and use the godzilla strategy.. just fly around the city ramming things and thowing people around like Nazgul in the LOTR movies. They won't be able to shoot it down because it's large and radioactive.

Re:Vampire?

[flyingsquid]

We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold. I remember saying something like, "I feel a bit lightheaded; maybe you should drive . . ." And suddenly there was a terrible roar all around us and the sky was full of what looked like huge bats, all swooping and screeching and diving around the car, which was going about 100 miles an hour with the top down to Las Vegas. And a voice was screaming: "Holy Jesus! What are these goddamn animals?"

Then it was quiet again. My attorney had taken his shirt off and was pouring beer on his chest, to facilitate the tanning process. "What the hell are you yelling about," he muttered, staring up at the sun with his eyes closed and covered with wraparound Spanish sunglasses. "Never mind," I said. "It's your turn to drive." I hit the brakes and aimed the Great Red Shark toward the shoulder of the highway. No point mentioning those bats, I thought. The poor bastard will see them soon enough.

---Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Re:Vampire?

[cayenne8]

"I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me."

-Hunter S. Thompson

Hmm...perhaps this belonged on the article about Addiction to video games.....

COM-BAT?

[Ryukotsusei]

Okay, this is taking military acronyms way too far..

Solar power?

[druuna]

I've always thought that bats are nocturnal.......

Six inch bat?

[SleptThroughClass]

What good is a six inch bat? You're not going to hit one out of the ballpark with that.

Giant bat?

[Mongoose Disciple]

You know, a 12 foot robot bat might be a bit big for spy missions, but maybe it could be repurposed to scaring the hell out of and possibly murdering people.

It's a 12 foot robot bat, man! That'd scare the hell out of me if it came for me in the dark.

Re:Cue The Peacnik Hippie Crowd.

[Anonymous Coward]

Power to the people! Hell no, we won't go! Free Huey! Free Mumia! Strength to all our oppressed, repressed, and suppressed brothers united in the struggle against the jackbooted thugs of the imperial Zionist hegemony and the fascist overlords of the military-industrial complex! Aztlan forever!

Now where's my "Rage Against the Machine" t-shirt? I have a sorority mixer to get to.

Apparently the prototype failed

[pandrijeczko]

The project to develop the prototype of the COM-BAT some five years ago, the Operational Stealth Tiny Robotic Intelligent Combat Helicopter (OSTRICH) just didn't take off.

Re:Pigeons next

[CRCulver]

Defense technology research labs are staffed by the same sort of nerds that post here on Slashdot. I don't think it's likely that they are intentionally developing technology that can be used against their own fellow urban Americans.

What this project needs RIGHT NOW

[kjoonlee]

There are several things that this project needs RIGHT NOW in order to be successful.

First, a whizkid plucked out from high school, who will be separated from his mommy for the first time ever.
Second, a crazy roommate who doesn't care about authority figures
Third, a mysterious man who lives in their closet
Fourth, an annoying dude who tries to suck up to his professor
Fifth, a charming young lady, interested in the whizkid, who just happens to be hyperactive
Sixth, an ambitious and immoral professor who's tricking the innocent to UNKNOWINGLY CONTRIBUTE to a MILITARY PROJECT
Seventh, said professor's inordinate hatred for popcorn -- oh wait...

In other news-

[Naughty Bob]

Army's clue-bat still many, many times too small.

Giant bat countermeasures

[SleptThroughClass]

So you're saying it would be assassins, ninjas, and pirates vs Giant Robot Bat?

In other news

[einhverfr]

Bald Eagles have been listed to the State Department list of international terrorist organizations after several members of this group disabled and destroyed several of COM-BAT's in various countries in North America. John Negroponte stated "We believe that this group, which typically uses airborn counter-intelligence tactics has an international reach and has demonstrated a willingness to attack members of our armed forces, including such flying robots." Addressing those who have complained that the bald eagle is the official US bird, Negroponte added "It has now become clear that terrorists have infiltrated even this historic ally of ours and, like Saddam, we must eliminate them. Later today, we will propose legislation to Congress changing the national bird to the pidgeon."

The state department is said to be considering adding various other carnivorous birds to the list as well.

Re:Powered by vibrations on a flying object?

[svnt]

No, no, no. It works on the same principle as generating power with a windmill on the roof of your car. The law of inverse thermodynamics.

It's big Enough

[Eddy_D]

It's big enough for reconnaissance, after all wasn't it Teddy Roosevelt who said;

"Speak softly, and carry a large bat"

Or something to that effect...

Bat Mitzvah

[greyhueofdoubt]

So when is the Bat Mitzvah?

-b