With technology becoming even more advanced, the military seems to be taking a step backwards as they could start using ‘spy rocks’ as gadgets for surveillance.
Something that we know to be true is that technology is vastly improving. Every second, developments are being made to massively improve upon the technology in the gadgets and devices that we have now. One of the biggest pioneers of research and development that often goes overlooked isn’t a specific team of scientists or an entire research lab, but its actually the world’s militaries. This year alone it’s been revealed that the US military are working on an ‘Iron Man’ suit and unmanned drones have been a long-standing topic of discussion, so it may seem odd that now, the army is working on ‘spy rocks’ for surveillance. But, as is the case with many projects of the sort, all is not as it seems.
The ‘spy rocks’, as they’re being called aren’t just rocks themselves. No, the military have not (yet) found a way to find a electrical pulse in a lump of sediment (to our knowledge). Instead, what they have done is find a way to create a gadget that allows for “unobtrusive, continuous surveillance”, which also happens to be small enough to fit inside a rock. Shown off at the annual AUSA Army meeting in Washington, D.C, defense contractor Lockheed Martin showed off the technology, called SPAN (Self-Powered Ad-hoc Network), explaining just what the technology can do. SPAN is reportedly a “covert, perpetually self-powered wireless sensor network” which, when triggered, they can automatically cue a camera or a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) to investigate. It even has uses in terms of notifying engineers when bridges or other structures are damaged and in need of repair.
These gadgets can even stay in the field for several years, according to the company, as the spy rocks are powered by solar technology. The device is also useful in terms of accuracy as it is also said to use algorithms to eliminate false alarms, making it a helpful tool to use on the battlefield. Lockheed have been working on the project for some time and they are looking to sell the spy rocks on the market now, so you just may hear about them in action soon.
We’ll keep you posted once we know more.
Source: Wired
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