Comments on: Coming Soon to a War Near You: Robo-Hummingbird Drones?

By: Sage Thrasher

Sage Thrasher — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 13:31:28 +0000

Buy shutters!

By: aWriter

aWriter — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 20:20:18 +0000

Good grief. I’m happy to see that some respondents understand and respect the accomplishment here. Anything to rip down the defenses of our country. Thank you, MT-LA and quarksparrow. I want one, too. Congratulations, AeroVironment.

By: quarksparrow

quarksparrow — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 21:03:05 +0000

@NB: I see hummingbirds all the time when ‘walking around the neighbourhood’. Like most wildlife, you only notice them if you’re accustomed to looking for them. And there are hummer species larger than this thing (the largest is 8 inches).

But having said that … no, it doesn’t look like a real bird. But I think that’s beside the point. And I still want one. ;)

By: Brian Too

Brian Too — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 00:00:15 +0000

Hummingbird ≠ weapon of war.

:-(

By: MT-LA

MT-LA — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 15:37:07 +0000

To the people knocking the fact that this nano-hummingbird doesn’t look enough like the real thing: that’s not the point!
The accomplishment here is the size and control of a vehicle that is using pure flapping propulsion with enough power to have a camera on board and the radio tech necessary to Tx/Rx.

“That SR-71 Blackbird looks NOTHING like a black bird. Silly Americans!”

By: NB

NB — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 15:13:07 +0000

Besides, that looks WAY bigger than a hummingbird.

By: NB

NB — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 15:04:49 +0000

If this is to be used in a crime/terrorism scene, I don’t think they are going for “let’s hope people would mistake it for a hummingbird and leave it alone” here. It’s not like hummingbirds can be seen anywhere… they exist only in very specific areas with very specific climate. Even if it this mechanic hummingbird can stay as silent as a hummingbird (doubtful) and look close enough to a hummingbird to mistaken for one (also doubtful), the presence of a hummingbird flying would immediately raise suspicion. I mean, how many people can say they are likely to see a hummingbird just walking around the neighborhood.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 00:11:29 +0000

Pretty bad imitation of a hummingbird.
Any bird watcher could tell the difference in 5 seconds or less.

By: Idlewilde

Idlewilde — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 22:26:40 +0000

”Hey, captain, is that hummingbird a robot or not?”

”I don’t know, cadet, be on the safe side and shoot it with your auto aiming gun.”

*BOOM*