Drones have quickly become a major part of residential and commercial life. From industrial estates using drones that are tethered as 360-degree security systems to roofers using drones to show customers the quality of the work done, drones have become a major part of our lives in a few short years. However, they are still somewhat limited in what they can do for the average person and are often noted to be quite brittle and easily broken.

Given the cost, many aren’t willing to shell out on a drone that might end up smashed. That is why the development of a tiny, agile drone could offer the solution to this issue.

Boasting both unlimited visibility, maximum vision, physical durability, and incredible range, these tiny drones could be far more than a gimmick. Indeed, they look to take much of the weaknesses of the normal drone – weakness, cumbersome design, and limited usage due to energy constraints – and turn them on their head. Instead, this offers a solution that is much more effective, far more reliable, and generally much safer to use for the most part.

These tiny drones would be small indeed and would be capable of probably being mistaken for an insect if it were to fly by you. Of course, some worry that such products could be used for espionage and other issues, but the benefits are believed to far outweigh any of the hypothetical risks. Thanks to the development taking place at MIT under Kevin Yufeng Chen, this could provide us with an insect-like drone.

This would mean it could get around quickly, avoid physical damage, and easily provide us with visibility and opportunity where previously it was not possible.

From being used in emergency situations to being a useful aide for commercial work, these tiny drones offer huge potential.

These drones have quickly gained a large following online, with many noting they provide a different approach to what is often a challenging discussion. Many see drones as either too cumbersome, too weak, or too incapable of flying at a long enough distance. Well, these little drones look to conquer those issues; strong, secure, sturdy, and capable of flying across longer distances.

The work being done has also been focused in the IEEE Transactions On Robotics journal, and was co-authored by experts like MIT PhD student Zhijian Ren, Siyi Xu of Harvard, and Pakpong Chirarattananon of the University of Hong Kong.

While commercial uptake on such a project might still be a few years away, this is proof that we are seeing massive changes in the robotics industry – changes that could become hugely exciting for the future of drone technology.

Citation

https://news.mit.edu/2021/researchers-introduce-new-generation-tiny-agile-drones-0302

There are varying views on drones. Users obviously have their reasons for flying one, be it for recreational purposes or something to do with their job. For bystanders, they can be objects of delight or pure annoyances. It’s the latter that the DroneGun Tactical deals with. However, it’s not a device intended to be in the hands of regular citizens.

Let’s face it, there are some irresponsible drone owners. There are certain rules to be followed in order to fly such a craft; you might even need to get a permit to fly in some areas. But the reckless side of the drone-flying population continues to not adhere to such regulations. A company in Australia, DroneShield, has created a solution to solve the issue.

For a few years now DroneShield has been showcasing what their DroneGun can do. What it is, essentially, is a high-powered antenna that can overpower the offending drone’s own antenna – so much so that the controller can’t get instructions through. If a drone meets a situation like this, it either attempts to land safely or return to a known location (assuming the GPS is still functional).

While all that sounds rather fine in terms of “punishing” a transgressing aircraft, the DroneGun isn’t a convenient thing to carry around. It looks like a rifle gun but one that needs a backpack, batteries, and other components.

If you thought that is big, wait until you see the DroneGun Tactical. Sure, only renders have been put out but a physical model has been made. The Tactical measures 56 inches long, 18 inches tall, and 8 inches wide. This time, there is no pack to go with it.

With its enlarged size comes more sophisticated features. According to DroneShield, their Tactical can put down a drone that is more than a kilometer away. But in order to achieve that, a user must be within line of sight of the drone. This is needed because a drone can very well be up in the air in to time should it re-establish connection with its controller.

Battery life has also been improved with the Tactical. It can manage about an hour or maybe even two of drone scrambling. A GPS blocker can even be purchased to ensure that the transgressing craft stays down rather than flies home.

All this sounds good in the name of maintaining order in the skies. How many times have we read articles about the dangers of drones hitting actual airplanes? There was even that one time where it actually hit a passenger aircraft. But ordinary citizens can’t take the law into their own hands with the help of the Tactical; it has not been approved by the FCC for use in the US.

That means it is illegal for a regular citizen to operate a device like the Tactical. However, government agents are allowed use it. That isn’t a surprise given the Tactical was developed after “comprehensive international military end-user trials.”