Insect-like drones are taking off

Small, airborne devices the size of a moth may sound like a plot straight from a Marvel movie, but the latest developments in unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs indicate that insect-like drones are inching closer to mass adoption.

According to PCMag.com’s Chandra Steele, some drones are “being shrunk down to the size of insects,” which includes mimicking their vision and behavior. Tactical Robots division of Physical Sciences, Inc. (PSI), for example, studied hawk moths and similar insects to develop InstantEye, which “has the ability to operate in all weather and high winds.” The device targets to improve the wind performance of UAVs, taking it from the ability of birds and insects to thrive in an otherwise turbulent setting.

In terms of dimensions, several makers have already rolled out models that are so small they could even fit in the palm. These drones incorporate basic features, such as at least 7 minutes flight time, GPS and camera capability, but the size aspect is where they stand out. One example is Axis Drones’s Aerius model, billed as the world's smallest quadcopter at 3x3x2cm.

Meanwhile, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency or DARPA revealed earlier this year that it plans to create drones “small enough to fit through an open window,” which can resolve physical hurdles facing disaster response teams. The adoption of drones in military and relief operations is a not a fresh topic, with several organizations testing the commercial use of UAVs for distributing goods during natural calamities.

However, regulation remains one critical issue haunting drone makers. Now that drones are tiny enough to pass through an open window or speed through narrow spaces, it remains to be seen how companies and vendors would dodge potential repercussions concerning privacy, for example. Still, this development is a sign that drones are here to stay—for a long time.