Next time you see a bat flying about the evening sky, you’d better look close to make sure you’re not being observed by one of these miniature flying robot bats instead of the real thing.~
Researchers at North Carolina State University are developing a micro-aerial vehicle (MAV) built with a body structure that mimics a bat. These pint-sized flying bat-bots could be used for unmanned surveillance, military operations, exploration and rescue/recovery missions. Student researcher Gheorghe Bunget and Dr. Stefan Seelecke designed the robo-bat to flap its wings like a bat, and extensively studied the way real bats fly in designing their creation~
The teensy mechanical chiroptera weighs in at only about 1/6th of an ounce, and is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. And the best part – they’re working on giving the bat “metal muscles” created from “smart materials”. Can I get some too? Construction of the final, functional bat is still underway, but I’m hopeful we’ll see one of these take flight in the not too distant future~via : ncsu
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