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"The SF approach: an awareness that things could have been different, that this is one of many possible worlds, that if you came to this world from some other planet, this would be a science fiction world."
- Neal Stephenson
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| Little Bird | ||
| A remote-control "eye-in-the-sky" miniature drone plane (UAV). |
The idea of a drone that is controlled remotely is an idea that has been around for a while in warfare. The unmanned X-10 remote control plane capable of Mach 2 was created in the late 1940's.
In the modern era, very small versions of drone aircraft are used to provide remote monitoring. This excerpt gives a taste of what it would be like to encounter and to use this technovelgy.
| Mitch heard a rasping, flacketing buzz, like a big insect, and glanced up with a scowl into the stormy gloom. Saw nothing... Little Bird gave them a series of clear, frozen pictures, at the ends of blurry swoops, the pictures cameoed on the big screens in blue wrapped squares. Two names came up on the last screen. Facial matching had led to an identification that Augustine did not need. The man walking around the house was Mitch Rafelson... Browning told her head to one side, jerking her gaze between Augustine and the displays. "I didn't hear what the big guys said." The Little Bird had backed off about 50 feet and was hovering. Its little fuel cell would be depleted soon, and it would have to return or be retrieved by the command vehicle. |
| From Darwin's Children,
by Greg Bear. Published by Del Rey in 2003 Additional resources -
|
For another view of this idea, see copseyes from a story by Larry Niven as well as tracer-birds from an unusual story by Roger Zelazny. As far as I know, the earliest reference to a little flying UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) is the scarab robot from a 1936 story by Raymond Z. Gallun. Also, compare it to the robot bird from Invader on My Back, by Philip E. High, published by Ace Books in 1968.
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Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from Darwin's Children
More Ideas
and Technology by Greg Bear
Tech news articles related to Darwin's Children
Tech news articles related to works by Greg Bear
Little Bird-related
news articles:
- Robotic Bird Has USAF Flocking
- UAVs Invade Public Airspace
- Herti Drones To Surveil UK Civilians
- CSAIL Gets $7.5M To Develop Bird-Like UAV
- Robird Flapping Wing Drones Keep Airports Safe
| New Train Station Offers Minority Report-Style Signs |
| 'Ring Nation' Show Predicted By William Gibson In 1999 |
| The Wanderer: Eyebot From Fallout, Eye From Zelazny |
| Small Town Wants 60 License Plate Readers |
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'The pokkecon rang again. *The coffee’s for him?* Tsuyoshi said.'
The Jetsons imagined so much future.
'Rod placed the brain inside the panel... the horse raised its head, wiggled its ears, blinked twice, gave a tentative whinny.'
'Pina2bo would have to operate full blast for many years to put as much SO2 into the stratosphere as its namesake had done in a few minutes.'
'Chain of hotels that specialized in non-human service.'
'But then... not every bulldozer operator works on the Moon.'
'Griff found the white and pink map distracting and switched it off using his tongue mouse.'
