Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 |
Aeryon Scout UAV Gets Upgrades
The Aeryon Scout is a small, two pound unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed to fit easily into a backpack. With the simple touch-screen interface, it is easy to operate with just a few minutes of training.
(Aeryon Scout unmanned aerial vehicle)
One of the new features of the Aeryon Scout is the ability to fly in an autonomous way. Once the user has used the point-and-click interface to select coordinates on the map-based navigation system, the Scout will fly itself as directed.
The Scout is now equipped with an aerial photography platform with live digital video. The daytime imaging payload is (the company claims) the lightest completely digital, high-resolution, gimbaled camera available - weighing just 112 grams. It provides 5 megapixel still images and real-time MPEG-4 compressed video at up to 640 x 480 resolution.
The Aeryon Scout is a pretty close match for one of the stick-tights, surveillance devices described by Jack Vance in his 1964 novel The Star King. Vance called it a servo-optical:
Gersen continued, "There is a stick-tight watching us, although I have not yet located it. Its microphone probably registers our conversation..."The servo-optical -- a spy cell supported by rotary wings, remotely guided by an operator."
Philip K. Dick also envisioned this kind of system. Take a look at a cover picture of a robot tracking device from his 1960 novel Vulcan's Hammer.
For retro charm, take a look at the previous generation described in an earlier article Aeryon Scout UAV Like In Crichton's Runaway; Aeryon has come a long way. Also, visit the Aeryon Scout product page for full details.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 8/4/2009)
Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |
Would
you like to contribute a story tip?
It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add
it here.
Comment/Join discussion ( 1 )
Related News Stories - (" Surveillance ")
Simple Way To Defeat AI Face Recognition
'... designed to foil facial recognition systems.' - Neal Stephenson, 2019.
A System To Defeat AI Face Recognition
'...points and patches of light... sliding all over their faces in a programmed manner that had been designed to foil facial recognition systems.' - Neal Stephenson, 2019.
Smart TVs Are Listening!
'You had to live -- did live, from habit that became instinct -- in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard...' - George Orwell, 1948.
Police Drones In China Would Like To Have A Word With You
''OVERRIDE,' the City Fathers said suddenly, without being asked anything at all.' - James Blish, 1951.
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
Current News
Miss Alabama Beauty Contest Offers Different Standards
'...they moved with the ease of dandelion puffs.'
Has Musk Given Up On Full Self Driving (FSD)?
'...some bored drone pusher in a remote driving centre...'
Prufrock-3 'The Monster' Ready To Launch
Just go for it.
Drones In Vast Airborne Grids
'These pods were programmed to hang in space in a hexagonal grid pattern...'
Starship Special Edition For Lunar Shuttle
Love those special edition spaceships.
Capturing Asteroids With Nets
'...the meteor caught and halted just as a small boy catches a swift ball in his cap.'
Project Hyperion - Generation Ship Designers Needed!
'We have decided that it shall be but one ship... it must contain everything needed to take us through the generations.'
AI Welfare Position At Anthropic Filled By Human
'You’re the robopsychologist of the plant, so you’re to study the robot itself...'
Marslink Proposed By SpaceX
'It was the heart of the Solar System's communication line...'
Simple Way To Defeat AI Face Recognition
'... designed to foil facial recognition systems.'
Wood-Panelled LignoSat Launched
'The Consul remembered his first glimpse of the kilometer-long treeship...'
Laser-Beam Welding In Orbital Factories
'His contract with Space Industries required him to work summers in their orbital factory.'
'Iceberg House' Of Travis Kelce Reflects Science Fiction Of Past Century
'The basement was huge... carved deep into the rock that folded up to underlie the ridge...'
Mechazilla Arms Catch A Falling Starship, But Check Out SF Landing-ARMS
'...the rocket’s landing-arms automatically unfolded.'
A System To Defeat AI Face Recognition
'...points and patches of light... sliding all over their faces in a programmed manner that had been designed to foil facial recognition systems.'
Robot Hand Separate From Robot
'The crawling, exploring object was V-Stephen's surgeon-hand...'
