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 think we could solve our problems more easily through strength of character; but that's always been a commodity in extremely short supply."
- Gregory Benford
 |
| 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 -
|
Mark Marakson was able to control their movements using a wrist bracelet control panel, that also showed surveillance footage on a small screen.
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:
- 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
| Panopticlick Browser Ident-Key You Didn't Know You Had |
| Herti Drones To Surveil UK Civilians |
| HAMLeT Hazardous Material Localization And Person Tracking |
| DEXI Scanner Looks Inside Air Travelers |
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.
|
