Winged microchip is smallest-ever human-made flying structure

https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2021/september/microflier-winged-microchip-is-smallest-ever-human-made-flying-structure/

by geox • 5 years ago

30 14 5 years ago

news.northwestern.edu

dstroot• 5 years ago

Flying is a stretch here. Falling slowly is a better description. Interesting idea though!

glouwbug• 5 years ago

If it misses the ground it's flying

the_jeremy• 5 years ago

agree, editing the title to include "unpowered" or "gliding" would be more accurate

King-Aaron• 5 years ago

"That isn't flying, it's falling... with style!"

bringfyre• 5 years ago

More microplastics. Just what we need.

AussieWog93• 5 years ago

The overwhelming majority of microplastics come from larger objects degrading through use or exposure to the elements (mostly tyres and synthetic clothing, but also disposable plastic exposed to UV).

They're not actually "micro"-sized out the factory.

shakna• 5 years ago

Not in this specific case.

We fabricate such physically transient electronics systems using degradable polymers, compostable conductors and dissolvable integrated circuit chips that naturally vanish into environmentally benign end products when exposed to water

This particular design isn't supposed to breakdown into microplastics, and builds on their work of biodegradeable pacemakers.

Brainmulch• 5 years ago

The article specifically discusses dissolvable components at the end.

gnulinux• 5 years ago

This comment is not any more appropriate to this thread than any thread involving a product using plastic. Just because the product is small and made of plastic parts doesn't mean it produces more micro-plastics.

zizee• 5 years ago

Wait until the conspiracy theorists see this!

dangelov• 5 years ago

I love how "population surveillance" was explicitly mentioned as a goal.

flowerbreeze• 5 years ago

If it was about an individual, I think it would be called stalking. Overall I fail to see the difference no matter how many people are involved.

quantum_state• 5 years ago

If it were used for surveillance and tracking … the subject would not even know … wow … another double edge sword …

boygobbo• 5 years ago

I'm wondering what they would do to your lungs if you inhaled them...

Winged microchip is smallest-ever human-made flying structure

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