Flying Friends or Privacy Pests?

Fitted with cameras, sensors and microphones, robot insects are flying--climbing--crawling--jumping at the chance to assist humans in search, rescue and other hazardous operations.

Robotic insects could also be used for spying.

Could our privacy get stung by robot insects?

In my opinion, it is only a matter of time before a robotic bug is caught spying. Future technologies like flying robot insects, that offer great benefits to humankind, can often be equally detrimental.

Are robotic flying insects secretly patrolling the air right now?

It has been reported that robotic dragonflies were seen hovering over protesters in New York. Is it possible that the technology necessary to enable such an event has been developed?

The flying insect in the picture above being developed by the Harvard Microrobotics Lab, does not have a processor, camera or a battery (it receives power from a wired tether). If it had any of those items, it would be to heavy to fly. Now add the electronics and hardware to remotely control the craft. Then tack on some more electronics to transmit or store video images and the idea of a flying surveillance insect, even one as large as the average dragonfly, seems unlikely using current technology.

How will you know when flying robot insects have left the lab?

As a one-time flyer of remote control aircraft, (and by one-time, I mean I flew RC planes only once), I can tell you that sometimes the little buggers just don't come back. Mechanical breakdowns, hungry birds and clean sliding glass doors are just a few ways to bring down a flying robot insect. So keep an eye on the ground for an oversized dragonfly with a broken wing, cameras for eyes and a retractable antenna sticking out its backside.

Speaking of cameras, didn't any of the protestors who witnessed these dragonspies have a cell phone? What were they protesting, the high price of text messaging? Considering the number of video capable devices that are available today, if there are flying spies buzzing around, we'll catch them on video eventually.

Protecting our privacy and other inalienable rights will become increasing difficult as technology advances. Emerging technologies like flying robotic insects, can have a significant impact on society. We need safeguards in place to protect our rights before these high flying technologies are fully debugged. -ffa