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"I was perfectly satisfied to write science fiction knowing that it would pay very little, that it would be seen by only a very few people."
- Isaac Asimov
 |
| Dustmote | ||
| A tiny sensor device that could also form networks with other motes. |
These devices are also called "localizers" in the novel.
| The dustmote image swelled until it was a meter across and almost forty centimeters high. The head-up display automation painted appropriate reflections and shadows.
"Thanks." Trinli stood so they could all see him over the top of the lens-shaped gadget. "This is the basic Qeng Ho localizer - normally embedded in protective barriers, and so on. But see, in a benign environment - even outside in the shade - it is quite self-sufficient." "Power?" said Reynolt. Trinli waved his hand dismissively. "Just pulse them with microwaves, maybe a dozen times a second. I don't know the details, but I've seen them used in much larger numbers on some projects. I'm sure that would give finer control. As for sensors, these puppies have several simple things built in - temperature, light level, sonics." |
| Technovelgy from A Deepness in the Sky,
by Vernor Vinge. Published by Tor in 1999 Additional resources -
|
Here's another bit:
...these dustmotes already had sensors and independence built in. They weren't an embedded component of a system; they could be the system itself.
For a modern analog, take a look at multi-hop RFID tags.
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More Ideas
and Technology from A Deepness in the Sky
More Ideas
and Technology by Vernor Vinge
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- Ultrasonic Wireless ‘Neural Dust’ Sensors For Medical Monitoring
| Muxcard Redditor's DIY Credit Card-Sized Computer |
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| Is Agentic AI The Wrong Kind Of Smartness? |
| Jetson Orin Nano Super 70 Just $249 |
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'It sounds to me as though you had invented a kind of metal earthworm.'
