Sensors Attain Locations Aboard Bugs – for Science

It is not always possible for researchers to examine every area they are supposed to, and the latest creation will be a small substitute for them.

Researchers at the University of Washington developed a 98 milligram sensor system that is as light as a tenth of a jelly bean. And this little chip will ride aboard a drone or a flying insect to sacrifice itself when it arrives at its destination.

It falls from the sleeping place with just one click via Bluetooth and ensures that everything runs smoothly Landing of up to 72 feet (approximately 21.9 meters) high.

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The sensor works on the ground and records temperature or humidity data for a maximum of three years.

The team presented the research September 24th at MobiCom 2020.

This small sensor is held on the tap thanks to its magnetic pen surrounded by a thin coil of wire. When it hits the target, a researcher sends a wireless command and the magnetic field created by the coil drops the sensor.

“We have seen examples of the military dumping food and vital supplies from helicopters in disaster areas. We took inspiration from it and asked the question: Can we use a similar method to determine the conditions in regions that are too small or too dangerous for a person? Senior writer Shyam Gollakota, an associate professor at UW at the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, said.

There are plans to distribute many of them over a specific area such as a forest or a farm. By creating a sensor network, they can explore the exact location they want.

“This is the first time anyone has shown that sensors can be released by tiny drones or insects like moths, which can move through tight spaces better than any drone and withstand much longer flights,” Gollakota said.

Anything we can do, of course, nature can do better.