The U. S. Air Force is developing tiny autonomous drones that can fly in swarms, hover like bees, crawl like spiders, rescue like a roach, and even sneak up on unsuspecting targets.[1] They can provide complex surveillance, or carry lethal payloads for precision targeting. These Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs) are being developed by the Micro Air Vehicles Integration and Application Research Institute, a research arm of the U. S. Air Force. The MAVs are designed to be able to enter an urban setting, and loiter virtually unnoticed. This allows them to perform missions too difficult or dangerous for troops. The MAVs are an emerging technology and are typically less than two feet in length and can be as small as the size of a dragon fly. “Unobtrusive, pervasive, and lethal” as depicted in the Air Forces’ video outlining the capabilities of MAVs.

One of the primary applications for MAVs is intelligence gathering, by the use of cameras, microphones and various other sensors. There is a potential to use the MAVs in domestic surveillance, in order to gain intelligence on potential terrorists. The possibility exists that surveillance technology, including MAVs could be used to collect intelligence on U.S. citizens within the homeland. Some have claimed that the U.S. government has not only researched and developed insect like MAVs, but for several years have been employing them for domestic surveillance purposes. There are unsubstantiated first hand reports of MAV- like incidents employed in the major east coast cities. Vanessa Alarcon, a university student who was working at an Anti-war rally in Washington told the Washington Post: “I heard someone say ‘Oh my God, look at those’. I look up and I’m like, ‘What the hell is that?’. They look like dragon flies or little helicopters. But I mean those are not insects.” Bernard Crane, a lawyer at the same event, said he had “never seen anything like that in my life. ” He added: “they were large for dragonflies. I thought, ‘Is that mechanical or is that alive?’[2]

While no true patriot would wish anything less than the best intelligence and chance of survival for our troops, this country has a bad reputation for turning military hardware to civilian use against the population. Assault vehicles, helicopters, heavy assault weapons and yes, even drones have been handed down from the military to police agencies all across the country for use in potential criminal, not wartime, incidents. It is easy to see haw this technology will quickly find it way into law enforcement inventories, and, like GPS, into civilian markets as well. Once that happens, there will be no turning back the clock to times when privacy was a right, not a limited option.

Sure, no one is admitting to it — yet!

No agencies admit to having deployed insect sized spy drones, although a number of US government agencies and private entities have acknowledged they are trying.[3] Many technical challenges exist in developing and employing functioning insect size MAVs. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) does not expect MAV technology to be fully matured until approximately 2030.[4] Dr. Greg Parker, AFRL Air Vehicles Directorate MAV Team Lead has indicated that much research has already been conducted. There are many technical challenges in developing Micro robotic aerial systems. “you can’t make a conventional robot of metal and ball bearings and just shrink the design down,” said Ronald Fearing, a roboticist from the University of Californian at Berkley. For one thing, the rules of aerodynamics change at very tiny scales and require wings that flap in precise ways — a huge engineering challenge.[5]

On the other extreme there is this early prototype drone used in Southeast Asia — minimal privacy concerns

Officials may say that MAV technology will not be fully matured for another 15 years, however the concept is not too far off. Defense Department documents describe nearly 100 different models of Unmanned Aerial Systems in use today, some as tiny as a bird, and others the size of a small plane. [6] Other government agencies are also working with MAV technology, the CIA was one of the first. The “insectothropter”, developed by the agencies Office of Research and Development 30 years ago, looked just like a dragonfly and contained a tiny gasoline engine to make the four wings flap.[7] Although it could fly, it was unable to handle crosswinds and was cancelled. Even if this particular MAV was cancelled, there is little doubt that technology is rapidly advancing and MAVs will become a tool that may be used by multiple agencies, for a myriad of purposes. In order to ensure that these systems do not infringe on our privacy or civil liberties, the government needs to develop regulations for the proper use of MAV and UAV technologies.

The Obama Administration has recently released a set of guidelines to govern the use of drones in American skies, in part to ensure the craft do not violate Americans’ privacy. “The federal government will take steps to ensure that the integration of drones takes into account not only our economic competitiveness and public safety, but also the privacy, civil rights and civil liberties concerns these systems may raise,” President Obama said in a memorandum to federal agencies. [8] Despite this progress outlined in the new guidelines, there is still a long way to go. The crafts are not the problem, it is the users that need to be regulated. The President’s order on privacy acknowledges that the federal government currently operates drones in the

The new line of defense for your privacy

US for several purposes, “including to manage federal lands, monitor wildfires, conduct scientific research, monitor our borders, support our borders, and effectively train our military.” [9] The President’s order focuses on accountability, and improved transparency while using this and similar technology.

As the Unmanned Aerial Systems become more prevalent in our society, in government, in commercial and recreational uses, proper oversight is essential. Privacy rights, and the preservation of civil liberty must be protected as the UAS/ MAV technology develops. Our freedom, and civil liberties may just depend on it. Just ask any dragonfly.