Courtesy of the good folks at GOOD, this infographic shows public opinion on drone policy, especially US drone strikes. It seems like Americans have the same opinion that other do (they don’t want drones used on themselves), although everyone should probably just get used to it. Drones are here to stay, and they usually make sense to have anyway. They save lives, and costs. However, there still needs to be a serious dialogue among the public about what this could mean for our personal liberties and relationships to government. So far, this hasn’t happened yet. Similarly, we’re still waiting for a real discussion of cybersecurity – something the average person is completely ignorant of.
The steady advance of nanotechnology has fallen under the radar of most civilians, who cannot easily discern a relationship to our ordinary lives. However, recent legislation has prepped the United States for a coming tech boom.
Ears perked up when it was announced that Congress passed a bill mandating that the FAA test and approve civilian drones in U.S. airpace. Many privacy advocates have decried the act, correctly foreseeing the implications: surveillance drones in both private and military applications are on the horizon.
It’s been known for some time that the DoD has been sporadically deploying Predator drones in U.S. airspace to aid in law enforcement, though this recent Congressional action is likely to blow legal precedents wide open.
Enter the micro drone.
A number of institutions, namely the military’s DARPA labs, have been experimenting with a fusion of nanotech and neurology, creating remote-controlled zombie insects with embedded control boards (video below).
As for control logistics, researchers at The University of Pennsylvania have demonstrated synchronized flight formations using nano quadroters:
It’s inevitable that these developments would occur sooner or later, but if the public doesn’t keep tabs on this technology or the legislation governing it, we’re all likely to see these droids in our backyard sooner than we think.
UPDATE 3/5/12 15:54 EST: An illuminating TED talk on the technology of micro-drones.
Cyclosapien 