Leave it to Harvard to replace spies with flies.
According to the MIT Technology Review, robotic insects may be the future of military surveillance.
With funding from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, a team of Harvard researchers led by Robert Wood have developed a robotic fly that could be used for surveillance and chemical-detecting missions.
Videos of the fly taking off and a slow-motion clip of the wing mechanics are available on the Technology Review site.
With a wingspan of 3 centimeters and a scant weight of just 60 milligrams, the fly's tiny robotic parts are made of carbon fiber and polymer. This iteration of the robotic fly is juiced by an external power source, but Wood and team are working on an onboard lithium-polymer battery.
So from here on in, beware of what you swat. It may cost taxpayers a pretty penny.