Achieving flight with a rudderless, flapping-wing aircraft is certainly an accomplishment, but like any DARPA-funded project, the defense agency asks for more. Possible applications for this small, maneuverable aircraft could include spying on enemies or finding victims in a natural disaster. According to a new contract DARPA recently granted AeroVironment, the final NAV should weigh 10 grams or less, have a wingspan of about three inches, withstand winds of eight feet per second and fly inside buildings over a half-mile away. "The challenge is definitely in making it smaller," said de Croon. "The transmitter, steering, receiver, motor and wings all have to become smaller, making it more difficult to achieve lift." AeroVironment wouldn't comment on their future efforts other than that they want to meet DARPA's goals. The team from the Netherlands has shrunk their flapping-wing aircraft into the Delfly Micro, but it has still faces its own challenges. Creating a tiny flapping-wing aircraft that meets DARPA's specifications will be difficult, says AeroVironment's Keennon. "It's a combination of mechanical, aerodynamics (and) software, and they all have to be solved together." Related Links: Get More NewsSpiders, Scorpions Among World's Oldest CreaturesMany creepy crawlies have been on Earth much longer than previously believed.Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats Sing DuetsWhite-winged vampire bats "harmonize" with separated roost mates.Oldest Hebrew Writing Possibly FoundAncient inscriptions on a 3,000-year-old pottery shard could make history.Rare, Prehistoric-Age Reptile Found in N.Z.A tuatara has been spotted on the New Zealand mainland for the first time in 200 years.Iceman Has No Living RelativesOetzi, the 5,300 year-old frozen mummy, left no living genetic legacy.SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of TerrorWhat makes a place feel scary? There are scientific explanations.It's Official: People Are Warming the PolesHumans are conclusively to blame for polar warming, say scientists.Eight-Armed Animal Preceded DinosaursWhat may be one of Earth's first animals was no bigger than a coaster and had eight arms.Phoenicians Live on in People's GenesOne in 17 Mediterranean men may be descended from ancient Phoenicians.Pesticides, Fertilizers Linked to Frog DeclineA pesticide is found to promote parasites among amphibians.Hubble Telescope Taking Photos AgainThe Hubble Space Telescope is once again snapping stunning photos of the universe.Andean Mummy Hairs Show Hallucinogen UseScientists find direct evidence of hallucinogenic drug use among ancient Andeans.Opals on Mars Reveal Planet's Long Wet PastOpals found on Mars suggest the planet has been wet for much longer. |
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