DARPA Harnesses Hummingbird Flying-Style for Defense

Chances are, the only people who will be able to watch Aerovironment’s new Nano Air Vehicle (NAV) will be those who are controlling it. If all goes well for this DARPA initiative, the targets of this potential reconnaissance, device deliver, and (gulp) assassination technology will never know, see, or hear it coming.

Modeled after the flight of the hummingbird, Popular Science reports that it will be the first “controlled hovering flight of an air vehicle system with two flapping wings that carries its own energy source and uses only the flapping wings for propulsion and control,” says Aerovironment.

Some call them the real-life “Men in Black”. Others say that they are simply the best of the best when it comes to technological research and advancement. Regardless of what they are, DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, has new leadership in the form of Regina  Dugan, their 19th director, according to the DoD.

Having a silent, long-range, light-weight and fast-moving unmanned vehicle that can fit in a shoebox means one thing for certain: regardless of the intent, science is truly starting to embrace the wonders of nature in their designs.

Hummingbirds are the epitome of efficiency in flight.  With a $2.1 million injection of funds to continue and perfect the research, perhaps science will be able to duplicate the effect.

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