Unmanned aerial vehicles the size of a cigarette

January 14th, 2008

Researchers at Oklahoma State University are working with DARPA to deliver a sophisticated, unmanned aircraft small enough to fit into a soldier’s pocket, reports the Daily O’Collegian.

A state-of-the-art propulsion system, one that uses plasma thrusters with no moving parts, could provide power for micro and nano unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV.)This class of airplane can measure anywhere from a foot to less than 6 inches long.

“What we want the infantrymen to be able to do is pull a pack of six or so out of their pocket and have them ready for use,” Jamey Jacob, an associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, said. The aircraft would be used for surveillance purposes and allow soldiers to inspect hostile areas before moving through them.

Jacob and his team have been working on the project since the end of August.

“It’s a new propulsion technology to be used by micro and nano-unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAV,” Jacob said. “By micro, we mean smaller than a foot, and by nano, we mean smaller than six inches.”

Incredible. I guess you wouldn’t really need travel health insurance unless you were an ant on one of these things.