this post was submitted on 08 Feb 2026
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[–] worhui@lemmy.world 100 points 1 day ago (6 children)

This an an absolutely exceptional claim that would put the company decades beyond any tech I have seen. They are claiming remote control of a complicated animal in flight. They also claim it is without training and over distances impossible for a bird as small as a pigeon to carry radio gear.

This is not believable without any evidence.

[–] in_my_honest_opinion@piefed.social 34 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Propaganda mills run 24hrs in time of war. All sectors of industry are often involved.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Propaganda_Works

I absolutely do not believe these claims until they're independently verified

[–] gustofwind@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I’m not sure propaganda has ever been more intense and widespread than it is now with ubiquitous tech addiction

[–] partofthevoice@lemmy.zip 1 points 6 hours ago

Pretty sure I saw this one before… something something, wunderwaffen technology.

[–] worhui@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

That is what I was getting out without trying to use the loaded words.

[–] vacuumflower@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 20 hours ago

I've heard of the particular people behind that particular company achieving similar things 12 years ago with, eh, humans. That's of the "bloody regime horror stories" genre. There will be no proof.

Also honestly

would put the company decades beyond any tech I have seen

why not? They have plenty of money and expertise. Something you don't want to believe? Too bad, neither do I.

[–] sqgl@sh.itjust.works 1 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Indeed "thousands of km" is far fetched:

some of which are expected to be sent thousands of kilometers away while others remain in Moscow for further trials.

[–] Cocodapuf@lemmy.world 1 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago) (1 children)

Well... The electronics are solar powered, so it's not like batteries would run out. I'm not sure there are really limits on the flight range of a pigeon. I have to assume they'd be allowed to eat.

I don't think they could cross an ocean.

[–] sqgl@sh.itjust.works 1 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

How would they be controlled though?

[–] Cocodapuf@lemmy.world 1 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago) (1 children)

I have no idea, controlling an animal's brain is obviously the hard part too believe. But I don't see how that affects their range. It's a bird, birds naturally migrate thousands of miles.

[–] Yggnar@lemmy.world 2 points 11 hours ago (2 children)

It would effect their range because they would either need heavy equipment, like a fuckin star link dish strapped to their backs, or heavy radio equipment of some kind or something. Even if the "brain chip" is microscopic, you still need it to be able to send and receive a signal I would think, unless they intend to just operate it when it happens to be near a WiFi signal or something I guess?

[–] Cocodapuf@lemmy.world 2 points 39 minutes ago* (last edited 37 minutes ago)

Cruise missiles often use pre-programmed guidance systems, or total automation with just set of GPS waypoints to reach. That's a pretty sensible appropriate because the nature of the device is as a long range weapon that often ventures far into enemy territory. If you needed to stay in constant communication, radio jamming would become a serious liability. I'd imagine this is very similar in its design goals, so they'd likely use a similar approach.

At any rate, I don't expect the guidance to be the hard part, GPS navigation is not that hard to implement. (or GLONASS, in this particular case)

Also... If the US were doing this, they actually could use star link. Star link direct to cell phone connectivity is actually in beta right now and it works. If the pigeon could carry a striped down iPhone (it doesn't need a screen, speaker, microphone, etc), then it could actually carry a communications device that could be in constant contact. I wouldn't recommend Russia try that on starlink though, given that it's an American company.

[–] ironhydroxide@sh.itjust.works 1 points 7 hours ago

Or just preprogram the commands before installing and let it run autonomously.

[–] real_squids@sopuli.xyz 7 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

according to Forbes Russia and a company statement

duh

edit: as for radio, if it's not required to be realtime it would make a lot of sense to carry sd cards instead, provides lower energy consumption too

[–] OptimusPrimeDownfall@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 1 day ago (2 children)

You are putting a lot of faith in a people that can't even build a competent tank.

[–] vacuumflower@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 20 hours ago

You do, of course, understand that this has nothing in common with building a tank?

You do also understand that (just guessing) if you're from a German instance, then probably everyone of consequence involved in designing military hardware in Russia has better knowledge of their domain area than people analogous to them from German MIC and military? Simply due to experience gained. That does apply to tanks.

Anyway. I don't know if it's real, but you just go and read whose company it is. It might be.

[–] real_squids@sopuli.xyz 1 points 1 day ago

I know I'm just theorizing

[–] worhui@lemmy.world 0 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

This is a remote control situation. The bird would do bird things once out of a control signal. They aren't claiming full override and programming. I could easily see strapping a camera to a pigeon and training it. Maybe even remotely monitoring it and using a pre-trained electrical pulse to change direction.

These claims are beyond that. This is possibly the equivalent of scientist cures cancer where a reported misunderstands what is actually being presented.

[–] real_squids@sopuli.xyz 0 points 1 day ago

yea true, they did mention preloading flight paths, so it might be radio-less (apart from gps ig)

[–] moonshadow@slrpnk.net 3 points 1 day ago

If it's like the bug experiments, they aren't controlling its muscles granularly but guiding the whole critter through pain/aversion. Going left hurts, bird goes right type deal