| An online think tank member and concept | | | | warfare. If we built a vertical virtual |
| designer has been studying the | | | | 4D sound wall then as the swarm bunches |
| aerodynamics of insect flight; | | | | up, the power level must be increased. |
| specifically bees and locusts and now he | | | | What the swarm would do, since we are |
| believes has figured out the puzzle | | | | dealing with an organic evolved |
| which has literally plagued mankind | | | | creature, which has never dealt with |
| since ancient times. How to stop locust | | | | such a sound wall is probably continue |
| swarms from devastating human | | | | rather than evade it. |
| civilizations. How so you ask? | | | | Although they might turn around or |
| Mr. Warren Powers has drawn out plans to | | | | mutate the swarm's shape or direction |
| test a concept of using directional | | | | due to the bunching up of traffic jam, |
| sound waves to control and stop locust | | | | which would be the same if they |
| storms. In his announcement of the | | | | encountered an obstacle, a tree, |
| concept Mr. Warren states; "It seems to | | | | mountain, rock or building and that we |
| me a reasonable place to begin would be | | | | know they can do and have evolved to |
| to create a curtain or "plane" of sound | | | | deal with, obstacle avoidance. Now then, |
| or a "sound wall" or "sound barrier" | | | | we need a secondary unit to close off |
| through which the locusts would fly and | | | | the sides and backs of the swarm or |
| that wall of sound could be a few feet | | | | several such units. And if all hell |
| thick and a couple hundred yards long, a | | | | breaks lose [as if a locust plague is |
| few dozen yards tall. That space would | | | | not already nearly there] then those |
| look like a rectangle in the air placed | | | | operating such machinery need to be |
| in the path of an oncoming swarm." | | | | protected too. |
| Yes in concept this could work. But do | | | | No one knows for sure if Warren Powers |
| locust swarms have any rhyme or reason | | | | strategy will work, but judging by the |
| or known shape to them? Hard to say, but | | | | laws of physics it appears it is |
| I think they do actually, although I | | | | possible and that is good enough a |
| would have to study this. I am pretty | | | | reason to go for it, as everyone knows |
| into swarm theory from an offense and | | | | how devastating Locust Plagues can be. |
| defense standpoint of nature and | | | | Imagine this in 2006. |
| battlespace AI future of net-centric | | | | |