Tiny Surveillance Aircraft Fly in Tucson 106
An anonymous reader writes "Science Daily reports that thirteen teams from the United States, Korea and Germany will be in Tucson April 9-11 to compete for $6,000 in prize money during the 8th International Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) Competition. MAVs are tiny, radio-controlled airplanes that carry video cameras."
proposed uses (Score:3, Interesting)
Do we really need control systems this light? They have set a "wind date" for this competition for fear of a gust of wind destroying the MAVs; how will we make something reliable out of this?
Can these be bought off-the-shelf? (Score:2, Interesting)
What video-goggles are recommended?
Wouldn't it suck... (Score:5, Interesting)
MicroWarfare (Score:5, Interesting)
more on microjet at
http://defence-data.com/f2000/pagefa1006.htm
Re:Wouldn't it suck... (Score:3, Interesting)
Sounds like a terrific idea for a book.
Re:Do these people have morals? (Score:5, Interesting)
Wars are going to happen, period. Politicians are just as willing to kill 1000 as 10 to achieve their goals. It's naieve to think that they'll be more likely to go to war because we have a camera in an RC plane.
The most likely result of having spy planes like this would be LESS casualties. Imagine being able to fly a video fly into a building where there's a hostage crisis going on and getting real time video. Imagine flying into a mosque and having video telling you who's in there, where, etc. The place could easily be filled with civilians, and we'd avoid attacking them. Or, it could be filled with armed troups, and we'd have proof to the world that we're justified in attacking.
Almost all war-related technological innovation of the last 50 years has been targeted at reducing civilian casualties, collateral damage, and exposure of our own troops to fire.
Its great but... (Score:3, Interesting)
As a citizen of this world and then of America, one can only make one observation about our world...
There never were civil rights. Its a myth because those who followed, never really beleived it applied to anyone other than themselves. Freedom is a radical experience where those with the most capital get as they please while others get monitored through mini airplanes
So get to work guys! Stop being so moral and ethical. Get rich and you too can have your civil rights... and imunity from the law.
Frankly i'm far more impressed with that recent soccer autonomous robot. As a big fan of robotics and the robotic soccer games.... I was just impressed to see what a civilization in love with technology and progress where intrigue and curiousity for the good of man kind dominates, build such a unique thing.
Sony and Honda have also done similar things. Its amazing how Japan has created so many wonderful things and how its embraced by their culture compaired to ours. We seem so quick to build new missles, spy planes etc...
Lets get started on a nice friendly game of autonomous soccer. We have our competitors in this country but... its a shame such a great and wonderfull acomplishment goes so unnoticed by our civilization.
Perhaps we just dont appreciate science and technology for the sake of creation enough. Perhaps we diserve to destroy our own culture and economy.
Re:Do these people have morals? (Score:1, Interesting)
Cool pictures and some movies of these thingies (Score:4, Interesting)
Looks like these little blighters can be tricky to fly, they are using a computer to track the horizon to help keep them level.
Re:Ornithopters (Score:4, Interesting)