The micro air vehicle (MAV) is funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which will use it for surveillance of US citizens eventually after testing on more acceptable societies like Iraq. No doubt. [Aftermath News]
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).
Harvard Microrobotic Fly
The project is directed by Harvard faculty member Dr. Robert Wood. It has received funding from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which hopes to gain access to micro-miniature surveillance technologies.
The following Youtube video provides an overview of this unique robotic device, and briefly explains its principles of motion.
In an email to DeviceGuru, Wood said, “We are currently powering and controlling the fly off-board. In these recent results we created a solution to the mechanics and aeromechanics of a high-speed insect-like wing drive at the scale of a fly. But the power is not being supplied by the two parallel guides. Instead the power is supplied by thin (25micron) wires (may be hard to see in the videos). The two parallel wires that are prominent in the videos are just guides.”
3 responses so far ↓
wil // January 25, 2008 at 5:43 am
I wonder if Raid would gum them up.
I guess improving literacy or funding school bands would be waste of money.
pjwalker911 // January 25, 2008 at 6:03 am
Nah, there’s a techno-Orwellian Homeland Security police state panopticon military dictatorship to be built. And everyone will do their part like good little slaves. It’s patriotic to become cyborg fascists for the new world order total information global control grid system surveillance society. Didn’t you know? Plus it’s good for the economy. oops, I forgot, it IS the economy now.
wil // January 25, 2008 at 7:09 pm
I’d probably be fined if I broke one and have to replace it?
What about it’s performances in wind or rain, or extreme temps? Future protests will only be flash mobs in bad weather? If I squirt my hose on it and say oops I was watering my plants–but we have a drought we’re still told even though lakes almost normal again for this time year. They keep saying next summer will be so much worse–but they sound sort of weak repeating it on the “news.”
Even though I still like the Ghost in the Shell anime–the pro-cyborg implant sub text is bothersome. It’s cool to have implants, and you’re reactionary if you don’t–usually old parent types burning incense before Buddha shrines, and hence–uncool/behind their times in their spin.
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