The U.S. Military Is Developing Deadly Robotic Insect Drones

By on February 21, 2013 in News 8

Want to know something horrifying? The Air Force has a “drone birdhouse” filled with tiny, lethal, buzzing robotic creatures. In a few years, the doors will open and the drone bugs will be released upon the world. Via National Geographic, John Horgan reveals:

DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, has challenged researchers to build drones that mimic the size and behavior of bugs and birds. Cobb’s answer is a robotic hawk moth, with wings made of carbon fiber and Mylar. Piezoelectric motors flap the wings 30 times a second, so rapidly they vanish in a blur.

The Air Force has nonetheless already constructed a “micro-aviary” for flight-testing small drones. In an animated demonstration video, the drones swarm through alleys, crawl across windowsills, and perch on power lines. One of them sneaks up on a scowling man holding a gun and shoots him in the head.

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  • symbiont

    Ok cool when does the packaged kids toy version come out? My boy timmy is getting sick of his action figure drones already :/

  • http://www.ContraControl.com/ Zenc

    There is a mystique about military equipment (at least in the U.S.) that it is the best available version of something. Not surprising, I suppose, considering the insane money we spend on the military.

    You’ll frequently see a Milspec # cited in clever marketing, which among other things seeks to capitalize on this notion

    The fact is though, on small ticket items, the military version quickly becomes a clunker. Bigger, slower, higher power consumption, fewer user and upgrade options…

    These sorts of little drones may be the province of the DOD this month, but it won’t take long til you can buy one at Brookstone or from Skymall. Sans weapons, of course.

    For those you’ll need to download and print out a few custom pieces on your 3-D printer.

  • Anarchy Pony

    Activists better start carrying around signal jammers, otherwise they might wind up with a very poisonous “bug” bite.

  • wcarver

    The latest app for drones is a 1.8 gigapixel Argros video camera,
    hovering at 15,000 ft above ground level, it will cover an area ½
    the size of Manhattan. The resolution is high enough that it can
    record a person waving at it. or taking a leak in the alley.

    Should one duck into a building to avoid detection ….fear not.. there’s an app
    for that. The British have developed a drone the size and shape of a
    hummingbird called…wait for it…..”Hummingbird”. It can fly
    indoors and outdoors.

    Of course federal, state or local agencies and local police would not
    abuse such power – of course not … never

  • wcarver

    The latest app for drones is a 1.8 gigapixel Argros video camera,
    hovering at 15,000 ft above ground level, it will cover an area ½
    the size of Manhattan. The resolution is high enough that it can
    record a person waving at it. or taking a leak in the alley.

    Should one duck into a building to avoid detection ….fear not.. there’s an app
    for that. The British have developed a drone the size and shape of a
    hummingbird called…wait for it…..”Hummingbird”. It can fly
    indoors and outdoors.

    Of course federal, state or local agencies and local police would not
    abuse such power – of course not … never

  • BuzzCoastin

    there is a defense against these drone bugs
    the defense mechanisms are called chickens & birds