Thread: A Weaponized Insect Army

I found the picture below very humorous. But have to ask how serious is this kind of thing? Are we spending big bucks on it or what?

Insect Army Dutch artist Job Van Der Molen taxidermied a series of insects, adding toy weaponry to them after. Because you can never be too prepared. Job Van Der Molen via designboom

http://www.popsci.com/science/articl...ng-photos-week

Hey now, it can shock people to death! Imagine 50 of these landing on you're face! God damn.

I would say yes, I've watched a lot of cybernetic insect videos and demonstrations about controlling bugs with electrical signals, that kind of stuff; all on Youtube.

Imagine if they could reproduce too! Born with robots attaching augments to their tiny body's, crazy stuff.

Originally Posted by Japith

Hey now, it can shock people to death! Imagine 50 of these landing on you're face! God damn.

I would say yes, I've watched a lot of cybernetic insect videos and demonstrations about controlling bugs with electrical signals, that kind of stuff; all on YouTube.

Imagine if they could reproduce too! Born with robots attaching augments to their tiny body's, crazy stuff.

I know the picture is not real, but that looks like some kind of energy discharge weapon and I imagine it would hurt worse than the natural stinger on that bee.

I am not affraid of mosquitoes carrying machine-guns for the next future, but they are perfectly suited to carry viruses or other infectuous germs. And this may be a very serious type of weapon, even in the present time.

I'm not totally sure about the advantages of putting weapons on actual insects, but the minature as a 'concept' and the idea of the swarm might very well be realised in the future. Just imagine huge swarms billions strong of tiny insect sized robots to counter enermy aircraft or missiles. One of the advantages of mechanical 'insects' is they can be programmed to specific mission directives, ordinary insects carrying weapons would have the potential to be dangerously unpredictable and pose as much threat to friendlies as they would to hostiles.

Originally Posted by Chrisgorlitz

I'm not totally sure about the advantages of putting weapons on actual insects, but the miniature as a 'concept' and the idea of the swarm might very well be realized in the future. Just imagine huge swarms billions strong of tiny insect sized robots to counter enemy aircraft or missiles. One of the advantages of mechanical 'insects' is they can be programmed to specific mission directives, ordinary insects carrying weapons would have the potential to be dangerously unpredictable and pose as much threat to friendlies as they would to hostiles.

Yes and bug sized robots won't be very discriminating either. So I'm thinking the hordes will just have to be let go where they have little chance of running into friendlies.

I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords.

This idea is brilliant.
I can imagine non-lethal variants of flying cybernetic insects that reproduce or flying robot insect that neutralize threats with tiny volume injectors. As a tower defense sort of system.
I am going to think about this, hold my beer.

Serious, I am going to do it; it really is a brilliant idea.

Attaching mini-weapons to their bodies doesn't seem practical. But why not breed and train normal insects for swarming certain areas?

Destroying the enemy's military food-supply sources with controlled insect swarms.
Swarming an enemy base with a cloud of wasps which would render it nonoperational.
Employ flying insects with electrical-interference devices to render electronics unusable.
Use the insects as disease-carriers to transmit biological weapons, without suspicion from the enemy.

This would cause mass extermination :/