Here is the scuttlebutt. Supposedly DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, has awarded contracts to several companies to construct robotic flying insects that can carry a lethal sting. This is not made up, we already have flying robots that are very small and it was only one step away to make them deadly. This sounds like a plot out of a Wes Craven movie, but unfortunately it isn't, it is quite real. Anytime there is a chance to develop something that will kill more efficiently, we are right there developing it. I don't have a paper bag over my head, I know that we need to protect ourselves, but it is just the fact that there are so many people in need of help and we just keep developing these weapons at any cost. Will we go down in the history books as the country that went bankrupt because we're spending too much on weapons development?

What we want to do is develop a killer weapon, literally, that doesn't need a human to tell it what to do. This is not a new idea, far from it. It was the plot of a movie starring Tom Selleck. The small robots in this movie were spiders and the title of the flick was Runaway. So how good are robot insects? Well apparently they are good enough to fool other insects. Scientists have created a small roach like robot insect that other roaches think is a fellow member of their race. It fools them into walking out into the light. Usually roaches hide in the dark. This is one of the first robots that is able to effect insect or animal behavior. The roach robots are called insbots and are also covered with roach pheromones. They have only been used to fool roaches so far, but scientists agree that they could rig them to fool other insects, such as ants and other pests. It is hoped that the insbots can be used to decipher the meaning of different insect movements.

Are you wondering how these insect robots came about? Wonder no more, a study in 1984 took place at Cambridge University in England, when flapping wing insects were studied. It was learned that they produce incredible lift for their size. Hummingbirds use the same flapping action to fly. These tiny flying robots will give a whole new meaning to the term "bugged". They could be used to silently fly into a room or camp and pick up conversations without anyone even knowing that they were there. They would act as a sort of microphone and maybe even a tiny video camera.

Personal Retaliate Assistant

They are not miniatures, but there is a new robot in town, in Japan that is. It is going to be used to patrol stores and keep the shoppers on the straight and narrow. No it will not beat you on the head if you take something, but it will take your photo. Its main purpose is to radio for help if there is an intrusion, fire or leak. The bot does look impressive and this alone might deter some crime. It is shown on the site putting out a fire. Apparently it has that capability also. Robots are getting more and more independent and I believe, this is where we are going to have our first problems. What I mean by that is that it seems to me that one of these devices will have to go haywire some day. After all it is only a machine and as we know, machines do break down from time to time. I hate to think that someone will die sooner or later, from a mistake made by a robot. This seems to be highly likely in the military branch where robot planes drop robot bombs on real people. I bet we have killed some innocent people by now with these things.

Fully Working Arm.

Korea has decided that it is going to be one of the top builders of robots by 2013. This move is being planned on a national level by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Information and Communication. This will mean many new jobs for the Koreans. It is estimated that it will create 100,000 new jobs. It will also mean huge outputs of funds, but it will also mean a large increase in exports. The Koreans have a three step plan. Step one calls for creating entertainment services, step two will be the creation of robots to help the sick and elderly and step three will be the development of human like robots.

NASA also has a new camera up it's sleeve. It is a flying round ball shaped camera robot that is designed to help astronauts. It will be autonomous and capable of docking. It's official name is a AERCam. During a mission the AERCam can be used to see outside the spaceship. In a sense it can become the eyes and ears of the crew who will be safely tucked inside their ship. The AERCam will be very handy for the crew of the space station or even a shuttle that is in orbit. It will allow the crew to examine the structure to make sure there is no damage that needs repair. It weighs about 10 pounds and has a diameter of about 7.5 inches.

The future is getting scary, very scary