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World's Smallest UAV Weighs 10 Grams, Flaps Like a Bird
Posted by Adrian Covert at 12:00 PM on May 30, 2008
AreoVironment is building the world's smallest UAV, called the Nano Air Vehicle, that has moving wings instead of a propeller or engine. DARPA has given the company US$636,000 and six months to demonstrate an ultra-small UAV that will be under 7.5cm long and under 10 grams.
The concept for the project came about through a US$1.7 million "Phase One" brainstorming contract. Apparently unaware of the existence of birds, DARPA decided that this innovative and classy new idea was worth pushing though to development and handed over the second wad of cash this week. The Nano Air Vehicle is part of an apparent trend towards smaller and smaller UAVs, following AreoVironment's 80 gram, 15cm Black Widow and Prox Dynamics' 10cm, 20 gram Black Hornet (which, thanks to the less literal-minded people at PD, does not fly like an actual insect). [Ares] -By John Herrman
Tags: darpa | military | nano | small | technology | uavs | vehicles
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
Rob
Posted July 23, 2008 6:28 AM
There are a number of "nano" size UAV projects and we are developing our own.
60cm and will have AI autopilot to help in the launch and landing phase.
EYES AND EARS on board and Thermo electric sensor for scanning ground for IED, mines and Marksman.
Regards
Rob
adamator
Posted 12:27 PM 30/5/08
Ornithopter pwned.
adamator
RainyDayInterns
Posted 12:23 PM 30/5/08
Some bird of prey will scoop in and take it out... much like the YouTube video of the hawk and the RC flapping bird.
RainyDayInterns
Synik103
Posted 12:22 PM 30/5/08
Darpa's gonna be PISSED when they figure out they gave that much money to a buncha stoners toting a crayon drawing of a BIRD on a pizza box....
Synik103
Windhawk
Posted 12:19 PM 30/5/08
"flaps like a bird"
I am expecting something like a UAV doing the "Disco Duck"
+ Watch video
Windhawk
DearEditor
Posted 1:53 PM 30/5/08
The Hawks in the War Office will be guarded by real hawks "...a full bird colonel!...Ha! I slay me".
Where's my heat-seeking slingshot?
DearEditor
LittleJon
Posted 2:23 PM 30/5/08
I was one of the authors of the DARPA proposal when I was at my last company. Some of DARPA's requirements for the program were pretty difficult to say the least!
This is actually being developed by a consortium of companies (and a couple of universities), although Aerovironment (not "AreoVironment") are the lead.
LittleJon
Michai
Posted 3:03 PM 30/5/08
What is the data transmission range on this bad boy? I will be pretty pissed if 2mill of our tax dollars went to a fake flying bug that only broadcasts a video signal 20feet.
Michai
LittleJon
Posted 3:37 PM 30/5/08
@Michai: The DARPA transmission range target is pretty long. That's one of the big challenges for this program. I can't tell you what the range target is though, as I'm probably not allowed to say.
LittleJon
nuclearlove
Posted 3:34 PM 30/5/08
RainyDayInterns brings up a point I'd never considered with all of these microbots... if we start manufacturing swarms of these disposable things and releasing them for surveillance, won't that be a lot like introducing a new species into an ecosystem? What if birds, fish, small mammals start eating these things after they're left over in an abandoned warzone?
Answer: DARPA don't care, and honestly I don't much either. But an interesting point.
nuclearlove
itchytooth
Posted 4:17 PM 30/5/08
This one is 46 thousand times less expensive:
[www.amazon.com]
Quantity of quality, I always say.
itchytooth
itchytooth
Posted 4:42 PM 30/5/08
of->over
itchytooth
SomeoneUKno
Posted 5:14 PM 30/5/08
OUR UAV IS ONLINE!
(Sorry, I couldn't help myself.)
SomeoneUKno
strider_mt2k
Posted 11:33 PM 30/5/08
@Windhawk: That's just super.
You've put THAT song in my head for the next couple hours at least! :D
Nice.
strider_mt2k
Subterfuge
Posted 2:39 AM 31/5/08
@nuclearlove: They need to make these edible... and think... and reproduce.
Come to think of it I know where to find millions of these that I could sell them.
Subterfuge
Thunderdome
Posted 4:54 AM 31/5/08
There was an article in my FlyRC mag a month or two ago about a guy that's made not one, but two RC airplanes that each weigh in at under 1/2 a gram. Granted, they don't have cameras and/or other military gear that a UAV would require, but c'mon....1/2 a gram. rediculous.
Thunderdome