Over recent years, more than 30 Chinese military and government agencies have been reportedly using drones made to look like birds to surveil China's citizens in at least five provinces, according to the South China Morning Post Sunday.
The program is reportedly codenamed "Dove" and run by Song Bifeng, a professor at Northwestern Polytechnical University in Xi'an. Song was formerly a senior scientist on the Chengdu J-20, Asia's first fifth-generation stealth fighter jet, according to the Post.
The bird-like drones mimic the flapping wings of a real bird using a pair of crank-rockers driven by an electric motor. Each drone has a high-definition camera, GPS antenna, flight control system and data link with satellite communication capability, according to the Post.
While the "scale is still small", according to Yang Wenqing, a member of Song's team in a comment to the Post, the researchers "believe the technology has good potential for large-scale use in the future ... it has some unique advantages to meet the demand for drones in the military and civilian sectors."
(Score: 0, Disagree) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 26 2018, @10:07PM (4 children)
It must be blissful being as ignorant as you are.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Tuesday June 26 2018, @10:11PM (1 child)
Maybe the problem is the ignorance, and the belief in the scaremongering propaganda. A bit less ignorance helps to see the realities of other people.
Something about the Russians loving their children too.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 27 2018, @02:28AM
Did you just quote a Sting lyric? FFS, just stop that before we end up with another Phill Collins album.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Wednesday June 27 2018, @12:02AM (1 child)
Must be confusing hearing that whoooshing sound go over your head all day long.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 27 2018, @02:30AM
Not confusing. I know the whoosh is the sound of the faux bird drones.