Latest By
Category:
Armor
Artificial
Intelligence
Biology
Clothing
Communication
Computers
Culture
Data Storage
Displays
Engineering
Entertainment
Food
Input Devices
Lifestyle
Living Space
Manufacturing
Material
Media
Medical
Miscellaneous
Robotics
Security
Space Tech
Spacecraft
Surveillance
Transportation
Travel
Vehicle
Virtual
Person
Warfare
Weapon
Work
"I took the Minnesota multiphasic profile test once, and I tested out as paranoid, cyclothymic, neurotic, and schizophrenic. But I also tested out as an incorrigible liar!"
- Philip K. Dick
 |
| Tracer-Bird | ||
| A prototype surveillance drone; a mechanical bird. |
In the novel, Mark Marakson (engineering nerd) comes into conflict with Pol Detson (of magical heritage). To spy on Pol, Mark creates and uses technology based on nature's hunting birds.
| The prototype blue-bellied, gray-backed tracer-bird with the wide-angle eye and the parabola ear followed the dragon-riders north. A series of the larger fliers followed it at well-spaced intervals, to serve as relay points for the spy broadcasts...
The dark birdforms dotted the mountaintops like statues of prehistoric beasts, wings outspread. Had there been an eye to observe them, it might not even have noted their minute, tropism-like pursuit of the sun across the sky as they recharged their batteries for the night's flight. The day had beaten its way well on toward evening before they stirred, almost simultaneously, as if shaken by a sudden breeze. They began to flex their wings. Soon, one by one, they dropped from the heights, caught the air, rose, found their way, found their patterns, resumed their journey... |
| From Changeling,
by Roger Zelazny. Published by Ace in 1980 Additional resources -
|
The tracer bird and its support and escort devices fly as a flock:
Mouseglove heard the great doors opening below and made it to an appropriate vantage in time to see the metal birdforms launched like blown leaves into the dark sky, where they rose to swirl beneath stars, then assumed a formation which tightened itself as it wound and unwound, took its course and passed in a direction he deemed to be roughly southeast. This troubled him as he made his way to the surveillance center. He managed the approach once more and heard Mark within, cursing and giving orders. The one glimpse he got of the screens showed nothing of interest.
Here's a picture of the tracer-bird; if you buy a copy of this book, be sure you get the edition with the great illustrations by Esteban Maroto.
The prototype blue-bellied, gray-backed tracer-bird now focussed its attention upon her as she circled the room, studying it carefully without paying real attention to the opened atlas, as she retreated out the door and into the corridor beyond, her hoofs clattering rapidly as she passed down the corridor.
He saw the blue-bellied, gray-backed thing upon the sill overhead. It was turned as if watching them. A portion of its front end caught the sunlight and cast it down toward them... The tracer-bird followed their every step, hung upon their words...
Mark Marakson was able to control their movements using a wrist bracelet control panel, that also showed surveillance footage on a small screen.
Compare to the robot bird from Invader on My Back, by Philip E. High, published by Ace Books in 1968 and to the metal birds from Vulcan's Hammer (1960), by Philip K. Dick.
Comment/Join this discussion ( 0 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |
Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from Changeling
More Ideas
and Technology by Roger Zelazny
Tech news articles related to Changeling
Tech news articles related to works by Roger Zelazny
Tracer-Bird-related
news articles:
- Robotic Bat Wing
- Autonomous Soaring Project UAV Cloud Swift
- Tiny Spyplanes May Recharge On Power Lines
- COM-BAT Robotic 'Bat' On Order From UM
- Swarming Micro Air Vehicle Networks (SMAVNET)
- Robot Aircraft To Ride Thermal Air Currents
- Zephyr Solar Plane Sails For Days
- MIT Glider Lands On a Perch Like A Bird
- UAVs Schooled In Thermals By Peregrine Falcons
- Robotic Hummingbird Spy
- Surveillance Drone Bird Crashes
- Army's New Bird-Like Surveillance UAV
- Ultralight Origami Crane UAV Flexes Its Wings
- Eagles Vs. Drones
- 'Eye In The Sky' Movie Borrows 35, 80 Year-Old SF
- Solar Plane Circles The Globe
- Bat Bot Robotic Flapping-Wing Drone
| IJOP Integrated Joint Operations Platform China's Minority Report? |
| Kuri Robot Roams Your Home, Taking Pictures |
| Nuclear Drones Could Fly For Years |
| China's Drone Fleet Flies In Formation |
Want to Contribute an
Item?
It's easy:
Get the name of the item, a
quote, the book's name and the author's name, and Add
it here.
| <Previous | Next> |
|
|
|
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
|
'Very tiny pseudo insects that... can unite to form a superordinate system.'
Great, an autonomous slamhound. It is cute, though.
'The smoky globe, hung in the vault, was shot with colored light...'
'The electric cook was stirring empty nothing in a pan, with a zeal worthy a dozen eggs.'
