$10M For Unmanned Aircraft That Can Perch Like a Bird

coondoggie writes "Unmanned aircraft maker AeroVironment got an additional $5.4 million to further develop a diminutive aircraft that can fly into tight spaces undetected, perch and send live surveillance information to its handlers. Last Fall, AeroVironment, got $4.6 million initial funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop the Stealthy, Persistent, Perch and Stare Air Vehicle System (SP2S), which is being built on the company's one-pound, 29-inch wingspan battery-powered Wasp unmanned system."

Re:10 million? Cheap

[timeOday]

Twenty times 10 million is 200 million. A new F22 [wikipedia.org] is 137 million. I don't think there are any $200 million missiles, unless they are nuclear.

Re:Power lines?

[Jarjarthejedi]

It's not voltage that kills things, it's current. How you do you suppose non-cybernetic birds survive the experience?

Uh, by not carrying the current at all? Touch one powerline while not grounded or connected to any potential place for the charge on it to flow and nothing will happen, touch one while grounded and you're dead. Birds don't experience any current because there's no place for the current to flow.

You're right that it's the current that kills, but in this case the birds experience neither current nor voltage, so it's an irrelevant answer.

Re:I can see it now..

[Ihmhi]

Aye, both are correct [wikia.com].

Re:War robots 2

[Beezlebub33]

There are thousands already out there, so this horse has left the barn. See, for example, the Raven [wikipedia.org] or Packbot [wikipedia.org]. Note the numbers already shipped (>8000 and >2000). No, they are not autonomous, but they definitely don't have a human physically attached. And they are getting more autonomous all the time.

While it might be a good idea, I don't think that the main proponent / user of the technology (U.S.) would agree to get rid of them. Too damn useful. And you are right that there will come the day that the US might regret its decision. On the other hand, there is a huge difference between nuclear weapons and military robots, in terms of the necessary parts. The parts for a robot just are not that complicated, and in 20 years I'm guessing that it will be trivial to piece together a sophisticated military robot from stuff you can get at local stores. It will still be hard to get nuclear grade material.