The Com-Bat Solar Powered Spy Plane

Nov 18 2008

Is it a Bird, Is it a Plane? No, it’s the new Com-Bat Solar Powered Spy Plane

Solar Powered Spy Plane

As if we didn’t have enough to worry about, what with the Orwellian, fascist agenda just around the corner. The boffins at the University of Michigan have decided to introduce a new breed of surveillance care of the US Army. Welcome to the Com-Bat solar powered spy plane.

On a positive note.

The spy plane certainly has a lot to offer, measuring only six-inches in length, its beauty lies in the fact that it’s powered from renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, vibration and other energy sources which help keep its battery juiced up.
Remarkably, it weighs only four ounces, and requires only 1Watt of power.
The Com-BAT design was modelled on a bat; it therefore hosts a low-powered miniaturized radar and on-board navigation system.
The bat-like spy plane will promote the development of quantum dot solar cells, which will eventually double the efficiency of current solar cell technologies.

With the help of this little ro-bat, perhaps we will start seeing some real viable solar energy technologies come to fruition and finally solar energy can earn its rightful place in the mainstream energy market.

Downsides of the Com-Bat Solar Powered Spy Plane.

Solar Powered Spy Plane Close Up The ro-bat spy plane, although cute looking, has a more sinister side to it. Doesn’t everything!

The purpose of the solar powered spy plane is to gather sight, sounds, and smells in urban combat zones. At a cost of only US$10 million, it looks like the US Army’s concept is a real bargain for the American taxpayer.

The bat would be designed to perform short-term surveillance in support of advancing soldiers. Or it could be perched at a street corner or building for longer assignments and send back reports of activity as it takes place.

Although, the com-bat solar powered spy plane has been primarily developed for war zone activities, one can only wonder when such a device will become commonplace in our streets and cities.

We are shifting to a barcode society at an alarming rate, with the advent of RFID chips, national ID cards, and a CCTV culture already upon us. So it shouldn’t come as a shock to us when we see such devices become a reality.

The spy plane will be just another police state technology which will be imposed on us, the little people in the not too distant future.

What are your thoughts?

Read more at http://www.ns.umich.edu/htdocs/releases/story.php?id=6409
Photos: University of Michigan

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5 Responses to “The Com-Bat Solar Powered Spy Plane”

Dr. Know Says:
November 18th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
What a thing of beauty; the first rule of combat is to get air superiority, so it wouldn’t surprise me if Com-Bat had lasers to blind the enemy of the state. I guess DARPA have too much ‘taxpayers’ money as they are also developing this:

http://www.itpro.co.uk/608331/i-ball-technology-to-give-troops-eye-on-the-ground

Get your tin-foil hats ready people and also an anti-bat suit to block sonar!!!
Beth Says:
November 18th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
As a mother I am kind of OK with this, as an American I don’t know how much more I want big brother watching.

I think they would be good on campuses.
colleen Says:
November 19th, 2008 at 2:39 am
I’m sending this link to my airplane nut ex boss. If I can find him in cyberspace. I know where he is in RL. only about 400 meters away.

colleen’s last blog post..wsdl2php Web Services Proxy Class generator
Diesel Says:
November 19th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Scary! Makes me kind of glad that I’m not an American…i’d hate to see those things flying around watching me go about my daily business.

Diesel’s last blog post..Competition
SolReka Says:
November 19th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
@Beth
Good on campuses. I presume you are referring to the atrocities that have gone in the US regarding loonies running amock with weapons. The simple solution to this - stop the production and proliferation of weapons on a mass scale.

This won’t happen of course, due to the unfortunate fact that we, mankind are a belligerent bunch, and seem to enjoy causing harm to others. Hardly evolution, but still, that’s who we are. Unfortunately.

@Diesel
“i’d hate to see those things flying around watching me go about my daily business”
Unfortunately this is exactly what’s happening, the spy plane isn’t part of our lives… yet. But they will be.

We have been conditioned, brainwashed to live in fear of so called terrorism, when in fact the real terrorists we should be afraid of is our governments.

Have you heard of “data rape” check it out, let me know what you think.