Morphing Drone Flies and Crawls

Writing by Evan Ackerman on Friday, 12 of October , 2007 at 4:14 am

MMALV

It’s a general inevitability: things that are adapted (or constructed) to function efficiently on land will have issues getting around in the air, and vice versa. This is even true for most animals, with the notable exception of insects, which were the inspiration for the MMALV Morphing Micro Air and Land Vehicle. Like many other micro drones, The MMALV has a wingspan of 1-2 feet, flies around with a small electric motor and controllable tail and wing surfaces, and mounts a tiny video camera. Unlike other micro drones, the MMALV can land, fold up its wings, and then scurry about on the ground thanks to a pair of revolving legs. To get airborne again, it has to make its way to the second floor of a building and jump off (hey, at least it’s possible). Here’s a video:

The MMALV research is being funded by the Air Force and (be very afraid) the Department of Homeland Security, so expect to see one of these following you around and designating you a credible threat in the near future.

[ MMALV ] VIA [ Danger Room ]

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Category: Military, Research, Transforming

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