A pet aerial observation unit, developed by bureau engineers from the generous residues of coldwar precision. The device consists of a remote controlled aircraft with a wingspan of approximately 50cm, mounted with a miniature ccd board camera and transmitter. The fm transmitter sends a continuous stream of control-view video to a ground receiver, providing the pilot-controller with the navigational view for the plane.

With a one mile flight range, bit plane demonstrates a virtual independence from its pilot's hands - or any human payload - yet a catastrophic helplessness should it overshoot its invisible 20khz radio umbilicus. If the plane flies out of range it will plummet deep into the territory it investigates.

Latest mission destination: Silicon Valley CA. The bureau is currently compiling the video information retrieved in a series of sorties over this influential economic territory [Oct 97 - Jan 98].

bit plane's mission takes it deep into the heart of the Valley, to view the source and progress of the Information Age. The unique visual data collected points to some disruption between technotopian mythologies and bit plane view, as the unit flies over unusual formations of brilliant engineers, next generation chips, tract housing enclaves, military think tanks, personal visions, historic one-car garages, circular duck ponds, dense cellular networks, garage door openers, cheap foreign labour and the pleasant climate of northern California.

A flight from reason; a search for artificial intelligence; an aerial investigation into the non-disclosure territory of:

APPLE IBM LOCKHEED NASA AMES DOLBY INTEL NETSCAPE XEROX PARC ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES INTERVAL RESEARCH SLAC SEGA SEAGATE HEWLETT PACKARD BORLAND ORACLE YAHOO SGI NOVELL SETI ADOBE COMPAQ SUN SYMANTEC 3COM ADOBE ATARI ANALOGUE DEVICES

-THE BIT PLANE WILL NOT APPEAR ON RADAR-

AS SEEN FROM THE AIR: the Silicon Valley, experiencing the greatest legal creation of wealth this century, delivers the future. See income ratio for top corporate executives to that of production workers in the electronics industry rise from 42:1 in 1991 to 220:1 in 1996; unprecedented speed.

See a particularly pleasant place to live and work, a bounteous garden of nature, a distinct pattern of social-residential segregation developing a highly stratified series of suburbs corresponding to occupational differences. See assembly operations nearly entirely exported to the 3rd world... See unprecedented speed of urbanisation. Hours lost due to delays in traffic 20 000 in 1996.

THE CONDITIONS ARE DISORIENTING

HOW DO I GET A BIT PLANE? bit plane standard unit is offered for a special of $1200. Please contact for more information.

FOOTAGE AVAILABLE: The bureau will release full VIDEO REPORTAGE in September 1998 as the data collection is completed, contact Video Data Bank [Chicago].

The Bureau of Inverse Technology is an information agency servicing the information age. Generating information and information products. Contact us for more information.

The Bureau of Inverse Technology