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"Science and science fiction, how do you even distinguish the two?"
- Jerry Pournelle

Artificial Butterfly  
  A mechanical, robotic butterfly.  

In the park of the future.

He patted a dusty synthetic tree and crossed the unliving turf past holograms of swaying flowers to seat himself upon an orange plastic bench... Artificial butterflies darted along invisible beams... Concealed aerosols released the odors of flowers at regular intervals.

One of the fake butterflies passed too near, faltered and fell to the ground.

From Changeling, by Roger Zelazny.
Published by Ace in 1980
Additional resources -

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Additional resources:
  More Ideas and Technology from Changeling
  More Ideas and Technology by Roger Zelazny
  Tech news articles related to Changeling
  Tech news articles related to works by Roger Zelazny

Artificial Butterfly-related news articles:
  - Robotic Butterflies For Parks Near You?
  - eMotionButterfly Ultralight Robot From Festo

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