Smallest-Ever Human-Made Flying Structure Is a Winged Microchip, Scientists Say (npr.org) 53
An anonymous reader quotes a report from NPR: It's neither a bird nor a plane, but a winged microchip as small as a grain of sand that can be carried by the wind as it monitors such things as pollution levels or the spread of airborne diseases. The tiny microfliers, whose development by engineers at Northwestern University was detailed in an article published by Nature this week, are being billed as the smallest-ever human-made flying structures.
The devices don't have a motor; engineers were instead inspired by the maple tree's free-falling propeller seeds -- technically known as samara fruit. The engineers optimized the aerodynamics of the microfliers so that "as these structures fall through the air, the interaction between the air and those wings cause a rotational motion that creates a very stable, slow falling velocity," said John A. Rogers, who led the development of the devices. "That allows these structures to interact for extended periods with ambient wind that really enhances the dispersal process," said the Northwestern professor of materials science and engineering, biomedical engineering and neurological surgery.
The wind would scatter the tiny microchips, which could sense their surrounding environments and collect information. The scientists say they could potentially be used to monitor for contamination, surveil populations or even track diseases. Their creators foresee microfliers becoming part of "large, distributed collections of miniaturized, wireless electronic devices." In other words, they could look like a swarm. "We think that we beat nature," Rogers said. "At least in the narrow sense that we have been able to build structures that fall with more stable trajectories and at slower terminal velocities than equivalent seeds that you would see from plants or trees."
The devices don't have a motor; engineers were instead inspired by the maple tree's free-falling propeller seeds -- technically known as samara fruit. The engineers optimized the aerodynamics of the microfliers so that "as these structures fall through the air, the interaction between the air and those wings cause a rotational motion that creates a very stable, slow falling velocity," said John A. Rogers, who led the development of the devices. "That allows these structures to interact for extended periods with ambient wind that really enhances the dispersal process," said the Northwestern professor of materials science and engineering, biomedical engineering and neurological surgery.
The wind would scatter the tiny microchips, which could sense their surrounding environments and collect information. The scientists say they could potentially be used to monitor for contamination, surveil populations or even track diseases. Their creators foresee microfliers becoming part of "large, distributed collections of miniaturized, wireless electronic devices." In other words, they could look like a swarm. "We think that we beat nature," Rogers said. "At least in the narrow sense that we have been able to build structures that fall with more stable trajectories and at slower terminal velocities than equivalent seeds that you would see from plants or trees."
... surveil populations... (Score:2)
What I thought.
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Most people don't know this but microbes and other things cross over on dust clouds even to other continents. That's partially why another dust-bowl would be a bad thing.
It can easily track pollutants (Score:3)
It exists, therefore there is at least one pollutant.
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Yes indeed.
More plastic pollution was my first thought.
Second thought, what happens when I inhale these? Even if they don't get past my nose, what happens?
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mesothelioma. And/or silicosis.
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Those are both cause by crystalline silica. Asbestos is a form of crystalline silica. Silica is Si04. Silicon chips are primarily Si,but often with some kind of doping to modify conductivity. Silicon is not conductive on its own, unless heated to around 900+ degrees C, after which it will conduct. I actually know quite a bit about silica and silicon from working in a smelter. Crystalline silica was a breathing hazard that has to be dealt with in that industry. The raw material is quartz. And quartz dust fro
And here's the heart of it all. (Score:5, Insightful)
The scientists say they could potentially be used to monitor for contamination, surveil populations or even track diseases.
Because heaven forbid we have any technology that isn't INSTANTLY pinned to the surveillance industry. Let's not even take a moment to think about the possible positive uses of this new tech. Let's jump right to the dystopian nightmare scenario.
Can we maybe get surveillance devices injected directly into us? Save the big data collectors some trouble?
Health risks? (Score:4, Interesting)
What are the health risks if one inhales a number of these?
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Keep your mask on...
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Wrong question. The real question is will the big data collectors be able to get real time updates from them as they suffocate you or will interaction with lung tissue take them offline? You'd better hope for your family's sake you don't destroy a whole swarm of these by dying from them filling your lung tissue. Your family will be paying off that debt load for generations to come.
Re: Health risks? (Score:2)
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What are the health risks if one inhales a number of these?
Don't know, but at least you won't have to worry about the microchip in your COVID vaccine anymore. :-)
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That depends on whether their convoluted surface makes them easier for cilia to sweep them out of their lungs, easier for them to embed themselves in your lungs, or both. Their persistence will likely make them carcinogenic, though, if they are irritants (and how could they not be?)
Re: Health risks? (Score:1)
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The FDA will certainly require a warning label on each device:
WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD - not for children under 4 years!
(It is possible that the large label may impair flight characteristics.)
Re: Health risks? (Score:2)
Re: Health risks? (Score:2)
Not flying structure: "falling" structure (Score:3)
From the article:
The devices don't have a motor; engineers were instead inspired by the maple tree's free-falling propeller seeds — technically known as samara fruit. The engineers optimized the aerodynamics of the microfliers so that "as these structures fall through the air, the interaction between the air and those wings cause a rotational motion that creates a very stable, slow-falling velocity," said John A. Rogers, who led the development of the devices.
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I think most people would agree that airplanes fly, assisted by their engines. Soaring planes also fly, by finding updrafts.
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Or that paragliders fly, and parachutes slow your fall.
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I fly hang gliders, so I regard paragliders as occasionally useful windsocks, but yes.
Now just add some magic (Score:2)
Like a needle full of nerve gas, or maybe some bits of polonium, and dump them over your enemies.
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Why would you want to slow the fall of a needle? How would that make it more dangerous?
Re: Now just add some magic (Score:1)
Why would you want to slow the fall of a needle? If it injects you really slowly there's less chance you'll feel it. Duh.
Hey, I've Seen This One! (Score:2)
Re: Hey, I've Seen This One! (Score:1)
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Isn't this the plot of Twister?
No, those were pickup trucks falling out of the sky.
Not-smallest-ever Not-yet-made Falling Structure M (Score:1)
Re: Not-smallest-ever Not-yet-made Falling Structu (Score:1)
Environmental disaster (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Environmental disaster (Score:4, Funny)
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Re: Environmental disaster (Score:2)
Excellent (Score:5, Insightful)
Nanite pollution.
Okay, so they collect data (Score:2)
How do you subsequently retrieve it?
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Oh come on, you know the answer to that.
It doesnt fly.. it falls more slowly then a rock (Score:2)
It has no way to move by itself but down, using gravity
Batteries included? (Score:1)
How does it power itself?
Do you just tie on a AA battery?
"Microchip" is kinda meaningless if it cannot actually power itself...
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You power it with RF, whether "ambient" or directed. Having this limitation is actually a potential benefit because you can aim your beam and control which chips are activated.
Does it break down if inhaled? (Score:2)
Collect? How does it report? (Score:2)
Hmph (Score:2)
Does anyone know why there are so many references to metric units in the article? Is Northwestern University some kind of communist institution? I thought we'd eradicated this kind of speak from 'merican soil.
Also, the dates don't even in medium-SMALL-large or large-SMALL-medium format. This is an outrage!
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We do love to jump to conclusions (Score:2)
Comment (Score:2)
It's not flying! (Score:1)
Flying implies that it keeps itself in the air (as long as its energy source doesn't run out).
This is merely slower falling.
If uncontrolled falling is -10, hovering is 0, and flying is the ability to go >0 at will, then this is -1.
It is not +1, as you imply. It is not even 0.