That book was scary.. basically gray goo that can fly and gets smarter in figuring out ways to kill you.
Posted on 02/02/2012 10:49:53 AM PST by Nachum
f the soldier-like perfection of the synchronized formation by these mini drones doesn’t freak you out a bit — their collective buzzing sure will.
Orchestrated by the GRASP Lab at the University of Pennsylvania, these 20 “nano quadrotors” developed by KMel Robotics seem to, as Popular Science describes, sense each other’s proximity and work together to maintain formation “like a hive of bees moving en masse.”
Watch the drone swarm in varying formations and with obstacles (Note: Hold out for the figure eight at 1:27):
(Excerpt) Read more at theblaze.com ...
That book was scary.. basically gray goo that can fly and gets smarter in figuring out ways to kill you.
Check out the videos hyperlinked in the article here; http://www.geek.com/articles/gadgets/nano-quadrotors-demonstrate-complex-swarm-behavior-2012021/
In the video where two of them build a tower, the “Matthew’s opinion” part is interesting:
“The important technology on display here is the accuracy of the quadrotors and the ability for them to work together. In their current small form the potential for them carrying objects is limited, but there’s nothing to say the quadrotors couldn’t be scaled up and made to carry much larger cargo.
The one limiting factor of the quadrotors is their battery life. But with such accurate movement it shouldn’t be difficult for them to navigate to and land on a charging pad. With teams of quadrotors working together recharges could be handled in such a way that there is always an active group of quadrotors working.”
Imagine you are an enemy of a government that has “killer” versions of these things, you are at your compound and hear a slight whirring sound, look up, and see 10,000 of these little critters converging on you.
Don’t even get me started.
Yep... loved that book!
What if you take out one? Does it screw up the works?
Or- how about a more silent version on one that will target one individual? Like that assassin drone in Dune?
Vulnerable to tennis rackets.
I’ve read just about everything Crichton wrote and Prey was the only book that creeped me out.
They already have their abortion clinics and death panels for the useless eaters. No need for nano bots.
Intriguing. I love Crichton's work. I will have to pick up Prey.
Amazing.
I don’t know - all I could think while watching all those mindless, buzzing objects all operating in concert under the direction of some hidden operator was: Obama voters.
What you say may be true regarding this demonstration but off-the-shelf R/C gear can be programmed to do all of this except maybe for the close formation flying (and that isn't far away -- just a matter of further miniaturization of electronics and sensors). What will be more impressive (and creepy) will be autonomous decision-making and goal-seeking. Rumors military RPVs can do this now.
So imagine - just for a sec - that ETs and UFOs actually exist.
Think they’ve explored the use of nano drones?
With antigrav drives and cloaking?
The size and shape of a gnat?
Have you ever CHECKED a gnat?
Thought not.
hehehe...
—and that isn’t far away — just a matter of further miniaturization of electronics and sensors—
That right there is the exciting - and scary - part
Matt. Take a look at this. Anyone who fights with a rifle (or handgun) in 20 years time, is fighting the last war.
That will take out a few. And so will the next shell. And the next. And all the shells out to a maximum of, say, 30, for a Saiga.
NOW WHAT?
Now that you have taken out about 90 of them, let's say, what about the other 910 of them still descending towards you?
Very interesting point. Thanks.
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