Phone-equipped pigeons take to the skies to monitor pollution

Some researchers at the University of California are giving 20 pigeons the mobile phone hookup to monitor pollution over San Jose. Not only will the pigeons carry air pollution sensors, GPS tracking, and phone communication in their little pigeon backpacks, but they'll also carry a camera to snap pics, which will be sent along with air quality text messages to their pigeon blog. We're just happy to know that with all the ways the US lags in phone tech, we'll at least have the most moblogging pigeons this coming August.

[Chuck Austin @ Feb 8th 2006 4:55PM]

Well I guess the next thing to do is to put a camera on a roach and call it a bug, what is the world coming to.

[Mitra @ Aug 3rd 2008 12:51PM]

Now that's what I call an unmanned aerial vehicle.

[Juice @ Feb 2nd 2006 10:05AM]

Man if they could get some HD lenses on those birds that would make for some good IMAX.

[JoeyCrack @ Feb 2nd 2006 10:28AM]

Great! I think they just sparked the Cell Phones give birds cancer debate.

[Gamer girl @ Feb 2nd 2006 10:47AM]

At least pigeons are good for something.

[lettcco @ Feb 2nd 2006 11:06AM]

uhh...unless they designed a docking station for the pigeons too, this seems pretty dumb to me.

[Sam @ Feb 2nd 2006 11:29AM]

Will the cameras be turned off during pigeon naughty time?

[Bill @ Feb 2nd 2006 11:33AM]

"Hello base? Yeah this is Benny. I'm noticing some pullution over this dump truck I'm tailing. I'm beaming back it's coordinates."

[matt @ Feb 2nd 2006 12:10PM]

the pigeons poop there research back to earth

[narphorium @ Feb 2nd 2006 12:10PM]

Ok, it's official. Everyone but me has a camera phone.

[D14BL0 @ Feb 2nd 2006 3:29PM]

"Pigeon 13, come in. Pigeon 13, do you read me? I'm detecting low battery levels in your equipment. Do you read me?"