AeroViroment Develops Operational Unmanned Aircraft For DARPA That Looks Like A Hummingbird

A company called AeroVironment has developed an awesome unmanned aircraft for DARPA that is tiny and designed to look like a hummingbird. The little flying machine uses two wings that flap to hover in the air and fly in any direction. The total weight of the aircraft is two-thirds of an ounce and that includes batteries and a camera.

How awesome is that? It can be remotely controlled for precision flight and has its own power source inside. The device is dubbed the Nano Hummingbird and is a milestone as part of the Phase II contract awarded by DARPA to design and build a flying prototype. I can see this thing being used to spy on criminals and flown around just for fun.

The prototype is handmade and has a wingspan of 6.5 inches and a flying weight of 19 grams. That is less than the weight of an AA battery according to the firm. That lightweight is very impressive when you consider it includes all flight systems, batteries, communications, and the camera. The aircraft is larger than a hummingbird, but weighs less. I want one of these!