An amazing article appeared on the Science Daily website recently about the future of drone technology. The article highlighted research conducted by Dr. Javaan Chahl, professor of Sensor Systems and a team of Ph.D. candidates at the University of South Australia. According to Dr. Chahl, drone technology is about to take a quantum leap forward. Why? It is because Dr. Chahl and his team have discovered a source of advanced drone technology.
Where did they discover it? Did they get hold of an alien spacecraft? No, they found it in the fossil record. Yes, they found a source of advanced technology in fossils dated 300 million years old.
To be more accurate, Dr. Chahl discovered this advanced technology from observing living specimens of dragonflies. His team have studied the dragonfly's incredible aerobatic flying capabilities. This includes the ability to race through the air, turn sharply, stop on a dime, hover, dart backward (or in any direction), and do all this while carrying something three times its own body weight. Dragonflies are masters of the air. A male dragonfly can pursue a female, battle off competing males, catch prey with a 95% success rate, and mate all in the same flight. Additionally, because of their supreme flying ability, they are notoriously difficult to catch and this is why Dr. Chahl and his team have resorted to studying fossil dragonflies. It is also true that fossil specimens can be very large, with some having wingspans of over 12 inches. Therefore, the fossils are an ideal source from which to glean drone technology insights.
Although this technology is 300-million years old according to the modern geological timetable, it blows away humanity's latest drones. According to the article, in comparison to the dragonfly and other flying insects, today's best drones are crude and guzzle energy. This is why the researchers believe future drones will resemble dragonflies. They believe, "a dragonfly-lookalike drone could do many jobs, including collecting and delivering awkward, unbalanced loads, safely operating near people, exploring delicate natural environments and executing long surveillance missions." They are supremely designed for flight.
It is interesting to note that some of the scientific community condemns any notion of "Intelligent Design" in nature. They reject the idea that there is any indication that an intelligent designer was necessary to bring about these marvelous flying creatures yet recognize that advanced technology exists in nature that far exceeds technology humans have created and want to reverse engineer this superior technology to improve our 21st Century technology.
This is one of the reasons that I love camping. All that humans have made fail in comparison to the brilliance and beauty God has provided us in the great outdoors.
A Scout is Reverent.
(Another acknowledgement of inspiration provided by a daily devotional from Chaplain Dave Causey)