Published on 07/19/2007
Many of today's inventions have been inspired by nature, and the RoboSwift is no different. Developed by Dutch engineering students, this micro airplane comes with 'shape-shifting' wings that allows the wing surface area to be adjusted continuously in order to make the plane more maneuverable and efficient. The RoboSwift features a wing span of 50cm, weighing 80 grams in total. It is capable of tracking a group of swifts for up to 20 minutes while performing ground surveillance up to one hour courtesy of its lithium-polymer batteries. A trio of micro cameras will then capture all the snapshots required before returning to the 'home base' for recharging. Now this is pretty creepy - how many people can tell a robotic bird nestled within a pack of swifts?