Comments on: Harvard's robotic fly takes off http://boingboing.net/2008/01/03/harvards-robotic-fly.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Thu, 23 May 2013 22:52:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: jimh http://boingboing.net/2008/01/03/harvards-robotic-fly.html#comment-99845 jimh Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-99845 How long until they can carry a tiny cam and a lethal dose of potassium cyanide? How long until they can carry a tiny cam and a lethal dose of potassium cyanide?

]]> By: ctp http://boingboing.net/2008/01/03/harvards-robotic-fly.html#comment-99846 ctp Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-99846 "But why would he say that a real fly's wings are a less than optimal shape? Flies seem to be dandy at, flying..." Good thing they didn't set out to make a robotic bumblebee then ;-) “But why would he say that a real fly’s wings are a less than optimal shape? Flies seem to be dandy at, flying…”

Good thing they didn’t set out to make a robotic bumblebee then ;-)

]]> By: Pyros http://boingboing.net/2008/01/03/harvards-robotic-fly.html#comment-99852 Pyros Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-99852 This is great! Only a matter of time before we can use swarming robot flies to kill all of our enemies instantly. What an advantage it will give us in war! Funds from the U.S. military? I'm sure that the U.S. military has only an academic interest in "swarm behavior" and finding survivors in a collapsed building. Who cares about the lethal potentiality of weapons when they can be fetishized as cool gadgetry. As Itchy and Scratchy might have advised (or did advise) Kill! Kill! Kill! Fucking scientists. I suppose we're supposed to think that they're smart. This is great! Only a matter of time before we can use swarming robot flies to kill all of our enemies instantly. What an advantage it will give us in war!

Funds from the U.S. military? I’m sure that the U.S. military has only an academic interest in “swarm behavior” and finding survivors in a collapsed building. Who cares about the lethal potentiality of weapons when they can be fetishized as cool gadgetry. As Itchy and Scratchy might have advised (or did advise) Kill! Kill! Kill! Fucking scientists. I suppose we’re supposed to think that they’re smart.

]]> By: Phlip http://boingboing.net/2008/01/03/harvards-robotic-fly.html#comment-99857 Phlip Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-99857 Declare an emergency... and release the mosquitoes! http://flea.sourceforge.net/EAP_5.html Declare an emergency… and release the mosquitoes!

http://flea.sourceforge.net/EAP_5.html

]]> By: Jason McIntosh http://boingboing.net/2008/01/03/harvards-robotic-fly.html#comment-99866 Jason McIntosh Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-99866 Surely Boing Boing needs a "THINK SMALL" tag to complement its "THINK BIG" one (seen on the nearby elevator-testing-tower post). Surely Boing Boing needs a “THINK SMALL” tag to complement its “THINK BIG” one (seen on the nearby elevator-testing-tower post).

]]> By: Jeff http://boingboing.net/2008/01/03/harvards-robotic-fly.html#comment-99908 Jeff Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-99908 Shades of the future. I wonder what it's going to be like when robotic spiders or flys can sit on our wall and see and hear...all. We think we have privacy issues now? Shades of the future. I wonder what it’s going to be like when robotic spiders or flys can sit on our wall and see and hear…all. We think we have privacy issues now?

]]> By: Jeff http://boingboing.net/2008/01/03/harvards-robotic-fly.html#comment-100173 Jeff Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-100173 If there is a technological niche to be filled then someone is going to design something to fill it. And down the road some imaginative AI will design it. Either way, I'm sure we will see all sorts of tech that is both beautiful and useful and sometimes horrible. Now it's robotic flys, next it might be the nano-bot swarms that eat everything. A slogan or two for our times: This isn't the age of Me, it's the Age of We. Or, The Sigularity Begins With Us. If there is a technological niche to be filled then someone is going to design something to fill it. And down the road some imaginative AI will design it. Either way, I’m sure we will see all sorts of tech that is both beautiful and useful and sometimes horrible. Now it’s robotic flys, next it might be the nano-bot swarms that eat everything.

A slogan or two for our times: This isn’t the age of Me, it’s the Age of We. Or, The Sigularity Begins With Us.

]]> By: Pyros http://boingboing.net/2008/01/03/harvards-robotic-fly.html#comment-99926 Pyros Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-99926 These robot insects have really got me thinking. The last thing the human race needs are swarms of robotic insects. I think we need this even less that than the pain machine developed by supposedly smart people working for the pentagon that was recently shown to make entire crowds feel like they're being boiled alive in hot lard. And just like hell, this machine only causes pain and not permanent harm! What is wrong with people? We need a new slogan for our age. In the '60s it was, "If it feels good, do it". But that message is a little bit too difficult to understand these days. We need a simpler message meant to resonate on a more primitive level: for our age, "If it feels bad, don't do it." You wouldn't think that it would need to be said, but apparently it does. Yet, at the point at which it needs to be said, does saying do much good? There's supposed to be an internal mechanism which is supposed to prevent people from acting against their own self-interest. Something must be broken. These robot insects have really got me thinking. The last thing the human race needs are swarms of robotic insects. I think we need this even less that than the pain machine developed by supposedly smart people working for the pentagon that was recently shown to make entire crowds feel like they’re being boiled alive in hot lard. And just like hell, this machine only causes pain and not permanent harm!

What is wrong with people?

We need a new slogan for our age. In the ’60s it was, “If it feels good, do it”.

But that message is a little bit too difficult to understand these days. We need a simpler message meant to resonate on a more primitive level: for our age,

“If it feels bad, don’t do it.”

You wouldn’t think that it would need to be said, but apparently it does. Yet, at the point at which it needs to be said, does saying do much good?

There’s supposed to be an internal mechanism which is supposed to prevent people from acting against their own self-interest. Something must be broken.

]]> By: Pipenta http://boingboing.net/2008/01/03/harvards-robotic-fly.html#comment-99929 Pipenta Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-99929 CTP, There's an extra pair of wings on that Harvard logo. Perhaps the first go-round was based on a bumblebee model and that project got grounded. The living insect in the footage looks rather bee-like. I'm not getting a clear image to say for sure. How many pairs of wings? It could be a bee mimic, but those antennae look more hymenopteran to me. I'll worry about the spy potential of these things when they figure out how to steer and power them. As it stands, the extension cord is going to be a dead giveaway. CTP, There’s an extra pair of wings on that Harvard logo. Perhaps the first go-round was based on a bumblebee model and that project got grounded.

The living insect in the footage looks rather bee-like. I’m not getting a clear image to say for sure. How many pairs of wings? It could be a bee mimic, but those antennae look more hymenopteran to me.

I’ll worry about the spy potential of these things when they figure out how to steer and power them. As it stands, the extension cord is going to be a dead giveaway.

]]> By: forgeweld http://boingboing.net/2008/01/03/harvards-robotic-fly.html#comment-100261 forgeweld Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-100261 It's time to start bringing long handled nets to public protests and events. It will be fun to capture little flying spybots and repurpose them. At some point, the government will pass laws that recognize them legally as equivalent to a human, like police dogs are,to put serious criminal sanctions on messing with them. It’s time to start bringing long handled nets to public protests and events. It will be fun to capture little flying spybots and repurpose them. At some point, the government will pass laws that recognize them legally as equivalent to a human, like police dogs are,to put serious criminal sanctions on messing with them.

]]> By: Daniel Hechtman http://boingboing.net/2008/01/03/harvards-robotic-fly.html#comment-100017 Daniel Hechtman Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-100017 Cool. We need a robotic aardvark to eat the robotic fly. A modern food chain. Cool. We need a robotic aardvark to eat the robotic fly. A modern food chain.

]]> By: yar42 http://boingboing.net/2008/01/03/harvards-robotic-fly.html#comment-100027 yar42 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-100027 My thoughts can be summed up in one word--quidditch! My thoughts can be summed up in one word–quidditch!

]]> By: Pipenta http://boingboing.net/2008/01/03/harvards-robotic-fly.html#comment-99776 Pipenta Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-99776 Nifty little gizmo. But why would he say that a real fly's wings are a less than optimal shape? Flies seem to be dandy at, flying... And where are robofly's halteres? Nifty little gizmo.

But why would he say that a real fly’s wings are a less than optimal shape? Flies seem to be dandy at, flying…

And where are robofly’s halteres?

]]> By: MonkeyBoy http://boingboing.net/2008/01/03/harvards-robotic-fly.html#comment-99797 MonkeyBoy Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-99797 the <a href="http://harvardmagazine.com/web/extras/robotic-fly">video</a> cuts off in the middle for me. Does it work for anybody else? the video cuts off in the middle for me. Does it work for anybody else?

]]> By: thecmgeek http://boingboing.net/2008/01/03/harvards-robotic-fly.html#comment-99801 thecmgeek Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-99801 Wonder if these are related to <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/08/AR2007100801434.html">what was seen</a> at the Sept 15th anti-war rally in DC last year. (Link to WaPo article.) Wonder if these are related to what was seen at the Sept 15th anti-war rally in DC last year. (Link to WaPo article.)

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