China’s Advancement in Micro Drone Technology
China’s state media shared news on Friday about a notable innovation from the National University of Defense Technology (NUDT) in Hunan Province, which has developed a “microdone” meant for surveillance on the scale of mosquitoes.
“There are mosquito-like robots here. These miniature bionic robots are particularly well-suited for intelligence reconnaissance and special missions during combat,” a representative from National China Central Television (CCTV) remarked.
The showcased devices featured a slender body, equipped with sticks, three hair-like legs, and delicate wings shaped like leaves. However, the report didn’t provide details about their operational range, flight duration, control mechanisms, or monitoring abilities.
The aspiration for drones that can be mistaken for insects marks a significant milestone in the booming surveillance robotics field. Notably, the Whiss Institute at Harvard University introduced the Robobee in 2019, a microdron that shares surface-level attributes with China’s mosquito drones.
Measuring about half the size of a paper clip, the Robobee weighs a mere tenth of a gram and is designed to fly by contracting its small artificial “muscles” via electrical impulses. While current microdrones operate only in controlled laboratory environments, developers aim for a day when they can navigate the external world, mimicking the movements of actual bees.
Ideally, the designers of Robobee envision a fully autonomous version that could assist in environmental monitoring, search and rescue missions, and even agricultural pollination, much like real bees do. Yet, it’s a bit unsettling to consider how the microdrone might be repurposed for surveillance or attack.
According to Chinese state media, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) currently possesses various drones weighing under a kilogram, capable of flying in AI-operated swarms while carrying small explosive payloads.
A “microdron,” as per current standards, refers to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that weighs less than 250 grams, or about 9 ounces.
Most existing designs of microdrones tend to be relatively slow, as their small frames limit the type of engines they can accommodate. However, in a recent achievement, students at Hong Kong China University of Shenzhen set a world speed record in May, with a palm-sized drone that flew at over 211 mph.
The smallest drones currently used by Western militaries include the Black Hornet 4, a Norwegian design that resembles a miniature toy helicopter. The Black Hornet 4 features thermal imaging and low-light capabilities and comes in a compact travel case that soldiers can easily carry.
The emergence of Robobee alongside China’s mosquito drones represents a compelling and somewhat disconcerting shift in technology, given their size and the method in which they fly—by flapping their tiny wings rather than relying on rotating rotors. A swarm of such drones, guided by artificial intelligence, has the potential to be an extraordinary asset for surveillance or, when armed with micro-explosives or toxins, could function as weapons.
