On Thursday a spectacular new development in drone flight technology was announced via the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council: a new form of micro air vehicle (MAV) that can fly farther than any of its kind as a result of its unique, bat-like design.
According to UPI, this new MAV was developed after researchers looked into the physics and natural mechanisms of bats its in flight. Because of their membrane wings, which don’t flap but change shape based on forced acting against them, bats are known for their unique method of flight.
The bat-like MAV design was the result of biomimicry among the researchers, meaning they looked to nature for answers as to how to develop the most fully optimized and economical drone.
“Living organisms can show us how to create our materials and our products, our buildings and our entire cities in ways that help us fit in with life on Earth,” said Eric Connelly, director of communications and outreach at the Biomimicry Institute in an interview with The Christian Science Monitor.
“There is really no limit for who can apply to their work and how… more and more scientists are looking to nature for inspiration.”
Biomimicry is a growing trend among scientists and researchers the world over. Research institutes, like the Biomimicry Institute in Montana, have begun identify the potential benefits of the practice.
The team of scientists working on the bat-winged MAV project used electroactive polymers that respond to electricity in order to change the shape of the wings — mimicking the way in which bats membrane wings reacted to forced.