China’s National University of Defence Technology (NUDT) created a mosquito-sized drone, roughly 1.3 centimeters long, tailored for stealth tasks like intelligence gathering for the military. The tiny size makes for easy camouflage in any environment, allowing it to remain close to invisible in covert missions. The drone has insect-like wings that flap to mimic natural movement.
Being an electronic spy that’s less susceptible to detection comes with manufacturing challenges. It requires batteries, sensors, and communication systems that fit into a working unit. This presents a miniaturization task that cannot come at the expense of diminishing functionality. Drones of this kind can have a purpose outside of military applications, for tech of a similar nature is being explored for use in medical fields like surgery and diagnostics. They also have applications in sampling air, water, soil, etc., to observe and track environmental conditions, monitoring crops, and emergency management.
The development of these drones needs a partnership among experts from multiple fields, including microengineering, materials science, and bionics. We see parallel developments in microdrone technology. Harvard’s RoboBee, resembling NUDT’s drone, saw research advancements in 2019. Norway’s Black Hornet, a larger microdrone, shaped like a helicopter, is already being employed globally by the military for various tasks. These tiny robots signal a future where stealthy microdrones can function as scouts or more, seamlessly blending with the environment.
