Humming Birds Or Spying Drones ?

California’s AeroVironment has developed the world’s first hummingbird spy plane, in ‎response to a request form Pentagon to develop tiny insect like aircraft for exploration and gathering secret information without the knowledge of the target group, about their ‎environment. The strategic purpose was for surveillance of enemy territory for military ‎based espionage to gather secret, intelligent information for warfare defense. The devices ‎can serve as an useful tool for firefighting and detection of hazardous chemicals. The devices are ‎equipped with video and audio devices for recording data.‎

The little humming bird has a 6.5 inch wing span, and is very light. The remotely controllable bird ‎can achieve speeds of 18 kmph and can be maneuvered to fly vertically up or down, move ‎sideways in all directions, advance forward or reverse direction, instantaneously. It is ‎also capable of rotating both ways and tumbling. It can hover around or perch on the ‎tiniest gaps and projections to take pictures, record sounds and transmit important ‎data. It took five years and $4 million to develop the prototypes.‎

Privacy is a major concern that has to be addressed, if these devices are to be used for ‎civilian purposes.‎