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Nearly two years ago, I blogged about how DARPA – the Pentagon’s mad science division – was working on a robotic hummingbird, which would act as a super-small surveillance craft. Well, as Borat would say: Success!
Monrovia, Calif.-based AeroVironment has perfected the tiny unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which uses flapping wings rather than rotor blades or fans to keep aloft. The Nano Hummingbird is equipped with cameras and even outfitted to look like the actual bird.
Check out the newly released promo video, which features some suitably dramatic music:
The Nano Hummingbird isn’t the only robot designed to replicate a bird. Check out the amazing Smartbird from Germany’s Festo. Just about anyone would be hard-pressed to tell one of these from the real thing at a distance.
If you weren’t paranoid about being watched before, now might be a good time to start.
Blogs & Comment
Eyes in the sky get creepier with robot birds
Robot hummingbirds are now a reality – yes, you heard that right.
By Peter Nowak
Nearly two years ago, I blogged about how DARPA – the Pentagon’s mad science division – was working on a robotic hummingbird, which would act as a super-small surveillance craft. Well, as Borat would say: Success!
Monrovia, Calif.-based AeroVironment has perfected the tiny unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which uses flapping wings rather than rotor blades or fans to keep aloft. The Nano Hummingbird is equipped with cameras and even outfitted to look like the actual bird.
Check out the newly released promo video, which features some suitably dramatic music:
The Nano Hummingbird isn’t the only robot designed to replicate a bird. Check out the amazing Smartbird from Germany’s Festo. Just about anyone would be hard-pressed to tell one of these from the real thing at a distance.
If you weren’t paranoid about being watched before, now might be a good time to start.