Micro UAV: World's Most Expensive Hummingbird

[deandome]

Too cool: https://www.aviationweek.com/aw/gen...3.xml&headline=Nano-UAV Video&channel=defense

 

[bobkrech]

Very interesting, but the trick is to make it autonomous.

Bob

 

[MarkII]

https://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/rc/a5ac/

And it only has 1/105,000 of the cost of the UAV mentioned in the article. :roll:

MarkII

 

[bobkrech]

The purpose of the nano-UAV is as covert entry and surveillance machine. The cheap toy is way too noisy to serve in that role.

Actually the AeroVironment UAV https://www.avinc.com/ is pretty cheap, it's the engineering time that's expensive. The late Paul MacCready, "the father of human-powered flight" was the founder and CEO of AeroVironment, a leading edge company that does the impossible. https://www.avinc.com/about/dr_maccready/

Of course they're not the only game in town. There's lots of companies, including mine, that work in the nano-UAV field. You can build amazing vehicle for $1,000 in parts, but it costs $250,000 to $400,000 annually to pay for the engineer who designs and tests it. (Before you think the engineer is making all that, he isn't, He's getting about 1/3 of it. The other 2/3 supports the corporate infrastructure around him.)

Bob

 

[MarkII]

My earlier post was less than serious. :bangpan: I do understand that the mission of the micro UAV could not possibly be met by the toy micro UFO. And I think that all of the new UAV research and development, especially on the micro scale, is simply amazing.

MarkII

 

[Rocketjunkie]

The purpose of the nano-UAV is as covert entry and surveillance machine. The cheap toy is way too noisy to serve in that role.

There needs to be some strong laws written and passed before these things become operational. That fly on the wall might be Big Brother monitoring your sex life...

 

[MarkII]

There needs to be some strong laws written and passed before these things become operational. That fly on the wall might be Big Brother monitoring your sex life...

If that is what he is looking for, then I don't have much reason to be worried. :roll:

MarkII