German boffins create 'flight simulator for flies'
Scientists in Germany have developed what they describe as "a flight simulator for flies", in which tethered insects experience virtual scenarios presented to them on a small wraparound screen. The wraparound screen of the blowfly flight-sim rig in action Week one, day one, and the Blowfly Top Gun Trophy race was still wide …
This topic is closed for new posts.
Electric Fly hat
Getting a hat with wires coming out of it onto a flie's head and tying a string round its leg has got to be the most genius feat to come out of this experiement so far. How could you fail to mention it el Reg?
Bees
Reminds me of the bee flight sims. You let the little bugger fly down a corridor in which the walls have a pattern of vertical stripes and can be scrolled. By speeding up and slowing down the speed of the walls you can make the bee think he's moving closer of further away from them. Fly your own bee!
Drone Pilots
Maybe they could hook the flys up to the predator drones the USAF keep crashing whilst landing, might save a few quid...
'blowflies enjoy wraparound immersive'
Gotta have a Paris icon just for the innuendoes...
Roll on twenty years:
German boffins crack simulator bound fly mind-reading. First thought interpreted is: "Christ this is boring. I wonder if I can patent addon maps, sell the IP to these human idiots and make a fortune?"
@ Drone Pilots
The problem is you will still lose predator drones as they nose dive into the first pile of poo the insectiod pilot comes across. Though losses would be reduced, I guess.
I hope
they aren't teaching the little bastards how to avoid being swatted.
wrong end?
All your flies are belong to us.
What if they discover that they fly by the seat of their pants? Would this mean they'd need an asshat?
Alliteration Much?
#E.L. Wisty voice# ... Ah Lewis, always apt to address all with your absolute abundance of artful alliteration.
Drone possibilities...
In other news, the Department of Defence has announced new unmanned flight drones that will be deployed in 2012 after they've stopped them flying into window panes.
Blimey!
Have these people never seen Lawn Mower Man?
I, for one, welcome our new VR-enhanced blow fly overlords.
ah.. but can...
THEY play Crysis on it??????
I for one welcome our small annoying VR trained flying overlords!
Flies' brains
"how it is that creatures with such tiny, limited brains are able to perform difficult aerial manoeuvres with speed and precision"
How does this compare to the so-called sophisticated human brains which manage, quite regularly, to crash into all sort of things (other cars, pedestrians, sea, etc.). I guess, the bigger the brain the more capacity for stupidity? Who knows...
On another note re Bees. What means "Fly your own bee"? Sarah, anyone?
EA
Not New
I remember watching a PBS program at least 2 years ago, where they were doing exactly this. I think it was with fruit flies.
"Time flies like an raaow. Fruit flies like a banana." -Groucho Marx
@Alacrity Fitzhugh
I don't mean to get catty with you, but you should check your typing before you blow your own joke.
Raaow!
Great. Insect terror alert!
These little guys will just breeze past airport security, and now they're teaching them to fly airliners!
Next thing we know, blowflies will be suiciding fully-laden A380s into the Bayer factory.
Won't someone think of the multi-national mega-corporations?
This topic is closed for new posts.
