Posted on 05/17/2015 8:09:24 AM PDT by BenLurkin
US military scientists have invented a miniature drone that fits in the palm of a hand, ready to be dropped from the sky like a mobile phone with wings.
...
With no motor and only about 10 parts, the Cicada resembles a paper airplane with a circuit board.
It is designed to glide to programmed GPS coordinates after being dropped from an aircraft, a balloon or a larger drone, researchers said.
...outfitted with a range of light-weight sensors, including microphones.
"They are robotic carrier pigeons. You tell them where to go, and they will go there," Edwards said.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.discovery.com ...
The new recon.
Here come the drums.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h8NmjpiY1M
Sounds like a flame thrower would work nicely.
Coming to a tea party meeting near you soon.
This concept seems to bubble up and then go quiet every few years. See Self-Organizing Wireless Sensor Networks and SmartDust, for example.
The person quoted in the article says the cost could come down to $250! Maybe he was misquoted — I don’t see a BOM that should cost more than 25 cents in volume.
The article says meteorologists want 3D temperature data around tornados. Great— we’ll be dropping these things by the millions and just letting them lie there for decades to slowly rot away? Who’s going to go pick up all that litter? These would be worse than plastic bags flying all over the landscape. For fighting ISIS in Syria and Iraq? Sure. But inside the U.S.? Nope.
So much for bugging out undetected during TEOTWAWKI.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.