Nanofleas: The future of surveillance
Recently, Technology Review published an article about a new standpoint in Technology: specifically Nanotech. There’s a new device, totally autonomous - a flea - designed by Berkeley scientists that is capable of jumping even 30 times its size thanks to help of rubber bands, possibly the tiniest ever produced. The device itself had been created under 2001 Berkeley project”Smart Dust“, but recently experienced the addition of a rubber band that makes it real for the particle to jump almost freely.
In the picture: Size comparison of the Smart Dust particle to a 1-cent coin. Taken from Smart Dust Page.
The devices, approximately 7 mm long are capable of carrying sensors. The Smart Dust project was aimed to produce complete autonomous nanounits capable of sensing and communicate the results (being probed) to a … let’s say a central computer. With the addition of the rubber band what is obtained is a network of sensors that might be extremely useful, specially when trying to explore an irregular surface, let’s remember that the fleas can jump as high as 2 meter.
It’s remarkable to state that no special technology has been used to build the “fleas”, as it would have caused that the budget and time for the project had grown a lot. The device is empowered by the simple and plain solar light.
In the picture: the band (2 mm long, 9 microns thick) Taken from Infotech The applications, leaving apart the military ones are very numerous. For example, it might serve as an ambiental sensor network, surveillance network, land-exploring, cave exploring and possibly might serve for commercial purposes in a very near future. Let’s say if you want to monitor your house. Altough there are already many quality surveillance systems available, this kind of sensor network might help to prevent gas leaks, fires, short-circuits and many failures, and also to stop thieves.
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