back to article 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 …

COMMENTS

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  1. EdwardP
    Flame

    THANK GOD.

    FINALLY.

  2. Lawrence 7
    Thumb Up

    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?

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    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!

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    Drone Pilots

    Maybe they could hook the flys up to the predator drones the USAF keep crashing whilst landing, might save a few quid...

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    'blowflies enjoy wraparound immersive'

    Gotta have a Paris icon just for the innuendoes...

  6. Pete 8

    For flight training of

    small brains like those in govt.

  7. TeeCee Gold badge
    Joke

    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?"

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    @ 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.

  9. Anonymous John
    Unhappy

    I hope

    they aren't teaching the little bastards how to avoid being swatted.

  10. fifi
    Coat

    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?

  11. blackworx
    Headmaster

    Alliteration Much?

    #E.L. Wisty voice# ... Ah Lewis, always apt to address all with your absolute abundance of artful alliteration.

  12. joi
    Thumb Up

    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.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Happy

    Blimey!

    Have these people never seen Lawn Mower Man?

    I, for one, welcome our new VR-enhanced blow fly overlords.

  14. Michael 82
    WTF?

    ah.. but can...

    THEY play Crysis on it??????

    I for one welcome our small annoying VR trained flying overlords!

  15. Evil Auditor Silver badge

    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

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Boffin

    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

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @Alacrity Fitzhugh

    I don't mean to get catty with you, but you should check your typing before you blow your own joke.

    Raaow!

  18. Anonymous Coward
    Welcome

    Yup. My bad

    I don't use the weiverp function...

    Woof.

  19. Adrian Esdaile
    Terminator

    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?

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