Israel making drone the size of a credit card

dawn ^ | 2/22/03

[knak]

TEL AVIV, Feb 22: The state-owned Israel Aircraft Industries are developing a tiny Remote Pilotless Vehicle (RPV) that can carry a camera and send pictures, the national Ha'aretz newspaper reported Thursday.

The RPV weighs only 100 grams and has wings the size of a credit card, the report said.

Test flights of a prototype had shown it could fly on batteries for 20 minutes and the images it relays could be seen on a laptop or palm computer, it was reported.

Among the advantages of a miniature drone were that enemy forces are unable to spot it or pick it up by radar. The device was also small enough to fly into an open window and spy on the number of troops inside a building, it was said.

According to Ha'aretz, the United States has already developed a similar plane which it may use during a possible war in Iraq.

[RoughDobermann]

Would be cooler if they could strap a teeny-tiny bomb on it, sorta like a Whipper Snapper, just to scare the cr*p out of people...

[JRandomFreeper]

Cool technology ping.

[dead]

I'm pretty sure my credit card flies out on its own at night and runs up huge bar tabs.

[anobjectivist]

100 grams? That's actually very heavy for its size, believe it or not.

[CyberCowboy777]

20 minutes...

hmmm

You'd still have to get pretty close to the target.

[arthurus]

Beetles with cherry bombs.

[DoughtyOne]

I'm not sure if she's telling me the truth or not, but my wife swears she invented something superior to this years ago.

It seems they fly into department stores, make purchases and return home with the merchandise.  Perhaps our national intelligence agencies should talk to her.  Lord knows I got nowhere when I did.  ; )

[DoughtyOne]

That is heavy. If you've ever held a fifty gram weight in your hand, it's very evident that this would have to be on the order of five to twenty grams to work, most likely below ten.

[MississippiMan]

Probably none availabe, but if anyone should happen to sniff out a picture, sure would love to see one.

MM

[anobjectivist]

I personally can make one that size with a weight of around 10 grams without camera equipment. I forget how much that would put it to, but it would probably be on the order of <20 grams.

[Lokibob]

100 grams = 3 oz. Pretty light weight to me considering that it has to carry a camera, lens, battery, and transmitter.

[mike_9958]

This doesn't surprise me... It is common sense to expect that we will have small biomechanical systems, or little robot type walkers/rollers, flyers, and swimmers, wage our fights in the future.

We already have the flyers, and I have hard time not believing we don't have walkers. Hell we got some pretty sophisicated toys that are multi-terrain. Whats the big deal to add a camera, or a wee bit of C4.

The really spooky stuff will be when the robotic machines get very very small.

[DoughtyOne]

I'm not sure how effective the production and availability of such a device would be. As soon as it was noted that such a device existed, it would be nothing more than a tip-off that you were under scrutiny if such an object appeared.

The more capable device would be the one that could see through structures. I am relatively sure this technology has been developed. It may be available from altitude, satellites and aircraft.

[anobjectivist]

They already exist, and are more common than you might think!

I dunno about seeing through buildings though.

[Lokibob]

Cool, post the pictures, drawing etc.

I hope it flies for 20 mins but would settle for 5 mins. What do you use for a power supply and motor? I'd love to make one.

[c-five]

Isaiah 31:5. As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.

[DoughtyOne]

Your reasoning is correct as far as it goes, but we're talking about a credit card sized object. The size means there would be very little surface area for lift. Pick up your visa card in one hand and a 100 gram weight in the other. I think the massive challenge this would present would become very appearant. We're probably talking a light optical chip, a primative lense and next to nothing in the way of structural mass. The device wouldn't require high definition video. A few mini-circuits and a battery source would be about all that was required. Once in a room, the device could rest on the floor while it's mini lense made one or two passes left to right etc. Job done.

[jigsaw]

Remote Pilotless Vehicle (RPV) ..... weighs only 100 grams and has wings the size of a credit card.

Somehow I think the indication that it's "pilotless" is perhaps self-evident.

(I could be wrong though.   Anybody know if Dashcle is taking flying lessons?)

[JustAnAmerican]

Just waiting for the time we put some small spider like robots in production that cost very little. The idea is to have each one carry a small explosive device that is attracted to heat(specificly human), drop a few thousand inside an enemy camp and watch the fireworks. Should also have a short life cycle, I.E. maybe an hour or more once activated, and can also be deactivated remotely by our people.