SEP 18

Imagine a six-inch spy plane that sends back visual and chemical data in real time, runs on vibrations as well as sun and wind power - and looks like a bat! Thanks to a five-year $10-million grant from the Army the University of Michigan College of Engineering will be making this Batman wet dream a reality. The renewable robot will be developed at U-M’s newly created Center for Objective Microelectronics and Biomimetic Advanced Technology a mouthful also appropriately known as COM-BAT. The University of Michigan will work with the University of California at Berkley as well as the University of New Mexico to create different aspects of the technology.

Miniaturizing the various systems of “the bat” and making them more energy efficient are big challenges for the groups working on COM-BAT. The tiny plane must be able to collect large amounts of surveillance data and travel great distances while running on 1 W of power. But COM-BAT is ambitious and they fully anticipate being able to shrink all the systems. For example “They expect their autonomous navigation system, which would allow the robot to direct its own movements, to be 1,000 times smaller and more energy efficient than systems being used now.”

The potential applications of this condensed technology are virtually limitless, "Throughout this research, we expect to make technological breakthroughs and have a much wider range of applications for other types of engineering problems, from medical to industrial," Kamal Sarabandi, the COM-BAT director and a professor in the U-M Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Comments (22)

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Spy Plane!
written by Devicepedia, September 18, 2008

Simply the best, wow! what an invention of modern technology.

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dunununununA BATMAN
written by low pressure, September 18, 2008

sweet, can watch the experiment on the world implode remotely...... sorry! i am sure there are many great applications for this that may or may not get used.
hey see the stock market geez...

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written by bob bobberson, September 18, 2008

Haha I love the military, for their use of acronyms. Basically they already know that whatever they produce will simply be reduced to jargon and acronyms regardless of what they call it. So they just adjust the name to whatever they want to produce a likable acronym.

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Let's get crazy
written by evn, September 18, 2008

OK if they can shrink 1 part by 1000 pieces. Imagine slowly over time the bat itself shrinks. How small can they make it. Soon, with evolution, maybe you can be a 'fly' on the wall

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written by Ken Roberts, September 18, 2008

This is only a small part of what the military is doing with solar powered aircraft, and low energy use aircraft in general. The technology being developed will ultimately make it to the civilian world, so this is something we can all look forward to. Well, unless you're on the receiving end

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hey idiot
written by dan, September 18, 2008

Hey idiot.

University of California, Berkeley.

Learn to type - at least pretend to be intelligent. One of the best and most well known universities our country has to offer and you butcher the name.

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Great to see the army investing in susta
written by Will Johnston, September 19, 2008

We're definitely going to carry this in our Solar Powered Product store shelf.. :>

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A fly is not so creazy as you think
written by Wouter van der Harg, September 19, 2008

The TU Delft has already created a micro dragonfly, smaller then 4 inch less then 3 gram with camera onboard: http://www.tudelft.nl/live/pag...88&lang=en.

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written by tc, September 19, 2008

Hooray for surveillence society! Oops, I meant EVEN MORE surveillance society. :- No doubt the military will only use this technology for wholesome purposes. [>note sarcastic tone

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written by deadman, September 19, 2008

The hi-tech search tool for poo. Incredible!
Hurray 4 US (Once again)

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go figure
written by keithj, September 22, 2008

And you thought big brother was snooping before! RFID chips in everything we purchase, now this, hmmm---think I'll move into obscurity and only barter for products and services.

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written by William Pauley, October 01, 2008

This little spy will need a curfew. Stay out too long after dark, and it's bye-bye. Can't carry much of a battery.

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When will they make cars run the same wa
written by School of Hard Nocks, October 05, 2008

More of Big Brother. Give us a car that doesn't need any fuel purchased to operate........Silence..... Fear not it's coming in spite of Bush, Big Oil and McSame and Failin. I have it already, you will soon.

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"com-bat"
written by kenneth h. conrad, October 05, 2008

mr.pauley,i am sure that the brains that developed this unit are aware that it needs sunlight to function.o.k.?

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wet dream? really?
written by Long Beach, October 06, 2008

"...Batman wet dream..."

Are you a self-respecting aspiring journalist? If yes, erase that phrase from your professional vocabulary. Seriously.

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written by Robin, October 12, 2008

If it eats mosquitoes, just like the real ones, I'll order a dozen. Robin in Minnesota. (The mosquito is our State Bird)

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School of Hard Knocks?
written by Robin, October 12, 2008

You only need to worry about One Brother...Comrade Obama.

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written by RON, October 18, 2008

WELL SPOKEN 'LONG BEACH'.

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written by Burt, October 18, 2008

Do Jerkleys come from Berkley. Who cares what it is called.

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But...
written by FilmLabRat, October 19, 2008

...but it's not nearly as much fun to fly as an SR71!

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More Waste
written by Ironeyes, October 21, 2008

I have to ask why we need to spend 10 million on a toy just to be able to claim spinoffs. This is a wise investment? I think we should be utilizing that funding for alternative fuel plant construction.

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written by Name, November 14, 2008

Quite an interesting concept. I'm looking forward to see how the concept materializes.

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