DARPA contractor shows off tiny robo-hummingbird UAV
By Donald Melanson 
posted July 2nd 2009 11:57PM
posted July 2nd 2009 11:57PM
We've seen plenty of tiny UAVs (or NAVs -- Nano Aerial Vehicles -- as they're also known), but none quite like the robo-hummingbird that's been in development at DARPA-contractor AeroVironment for the past couple of years. While we haven't heard much about it during that time, the company recently completed its most advanced prototype to date, dubbed Mercury, and it's taken advantage of the opportunity to show off all the progress it has made. As you can see in the video after the break, the bot is able to fly about and hover in place by mimicking the wing movement of a real hummingbird and, of course, be controlled completely untethered. What's more, the firm says that the final version will actually look like a real hummingbird as well, and be able to be controlled from up to a kilometer away -- even inside buildings, where a hummingbird won't look at all out of place.
[Via Danger Room]
[Via Danger Room]
...and then it was shot down by a nine year old and his official Red Ryder carbine-action two-hundred-shot range model air rifle.
this reminds me of a certain 32X game...
A few thousand of those at a sold out Major League Baseball Park would be fun. Expensive but fun.
Erm... Half-Life 2 Manhack anyone?
http://www.hl2world.com/wiki/index.php/Manhack
When put this up for recession giveaway... I think you should give it to the earliest entry... in this case... MEE!
Nice! Once they work the battery life, and noise issues out, then all they need do is come up with a way for this thing to fire Cyanide micro-darts. This little birdy would be the prefect assassin bot!
It's wonderful.. Bravo
there one right behind you now ,recording you have A five finger freeze with your sausage ,,But seriously does this mean a new super class of peeping tom will emerge ????? and that soon everyone and i do MEAN Everyone will be on porntube ,,etc,,,,a chilling thought.....