Micro Air Vehicles -Scary Insectoid Robots

The US Air Force wants insectoid robots which can deploy behind enemy lines, gather intelligence, and take out enemy targets.  "I'm sure they do" you say, "and while they're at it they'd like oil-dispensing cheerleaders and for every other country in the world to agree not to use guns."  But this isn't a fantasy brought on by too many awesome 80s cartoons - it's a real project, and it could really happen.

Air forces around the world have been working on Micro Air Vehicles - MAVs - which could take a far more active part in the battlefield. While their high-flying cousins (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) have provided eagle-eye views of warzones for several years now, the MAVs could get street level intelligence to those pounding the ground: specifically, the "what's around that next corner, and how about we send something replaceable made of metal around it first?" kind of intelligence.

British Special Forces have already been using a 28-inch mechanical insect called "The Wasp" (aka all your nightmares of giant military robo-insects at once).  The challenge now is to make them do more while being smaller.  With a timeline calling for bird-sized craft by 2015 and robobugs by 2030 it'll be hard work: at the moment insect-sized craft can fly, but only if you don't care about which direction they go or how long they'll last.

There are two factors on the designers side: the first is that the main task is miniaturization, something which we've proven to be very, very good at.  The second is eight-figures sums in air force funding, which will always kick your progress up a notch.

Once developed the price of these tiny spies will come down dramatically - production costs are nothing compared to development - and they could change the way city warfare is waged.  Every trooper would have a pocket of mechanoflies, able to check corners, spot boobytraps and watch their back from every direction.  Co-ordinated swarms could sweep an entire building for hostiles - or for survivors after the fact.

No word on anyone working on a robo-spider countermeasure just yet, but we presume it's inevitable.

MAVs http://www.physorg.com/news140850742.html

Comments

[nepharous]

So now imagine when these robo-bugs are sold to police departments. Do you think they would be used only when needed? No these will be used to keep an eye on all of us. Big brother can then be called little brother or Jimini Crickett. This technology will allow for the ubiquitous eye of law to be ever present.
Be afraid.

Nepharous

[amy geddon]

the true scenario is 'they want unlimited control over everyday life; starting with your bank acct and personal info thru your iphone, to your dietary habits thru your store purchases, where you are thru gps, and VIOLA!! instant police state!!!