Links:
SolidWorks Beta Testers Wanted for SolidWorks 2009 Beta 2

Cyborg insects with embedded Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS) will run RC remotely controlled reconnaissance missions for the military, if its ‘”Hybrod Insects-MEMS” program succeeds. The HI-MEMS program hatched earlier this year at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency plans to develop cyborg bugs to patrol, gather intelligence, and carry out other significant surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

Some individuals are worried that these robot bugs could possibly be used in an invasion of personal privacy and a possible threat to civil rights. If the government starts using these robot bugs to spy on political activists that could lead to problems. However, there is little information about spy technology so we will possibly never know for sure.

So far experts say the technology isn’t quite good enough to produce such devices that actually function at a usable level. Most likely our technology will be there shortly, so we’ll have to just wait and see what comes out of it. Hopefully these little robot insects will by restricted to military reconnaissance, which would be a revolutionary way to perform investigations without risking the lives of our military soldiers. Crawling robots for reconnaissance are getting better, but a flying machine would greatly increase speed and access comparatively.

Links:

Insect Cyborgs to Fly Reconnaissance Missions

Implants Create Insect Cyborgs

Cybugs: Military Mulls Army of Cyborg Insects

DARPA Wants Army of Cyborg Insects

Uses for this tiny flying robot bug will mostly include reconnaissance missions for military and law enforcement applications. DARPA currently has incentives for creating these little machines for military purposes. The advantage of being so small is that it could enter buildings and houses and fly through the rooms and be equipped with full micro surveillance technology.

Some individuals are worried that these robot bugs could possibly be used in an invasion of personal privacy and a possible threat to civil rights. If the government starts using these robot bugs to spy on political activists that could lead to problems. However, there is little information about spy technology so we will possibly never know for sure.

So far experts say the technology isn’t quite good enough to produce such devices that actually function at a usable level. Most likely our technology will be there shortly, so we’ll have to just wait and see what comes out of it. Hopefully these little robot insects will by restricted to military reconnaissance, which would be a revolutionary way to perform investigations without risking the lives of our military soldiers. Crawling robots for reconnaissance are getting better, but a flying machine would greatly increase speed and access comparatively.

Dragonfly or Insect Spy? Scientists at Work on Robobugs.

This type of technology is commercially available on a larger scale at most hobby shops and toy stores that sell RC radio controlled toys by a company called WowWee, the creators of the Robosapien. The Dragonfly is an ornithopter, a machine that tries to mimic a flapping creature. The Dragonfly is the first radio controlled fluttering insect. It’s flying is far from perfect, but it’s amazing it works at all. The best part is they they are durable, the one I tried crashed many times and still worked. I can’t wait for the next generation model.

Dragonfly by Wowwee