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Smaller, faster, deadlier - how drones are changing our world

Smaller, faster, deadlier - how drones are changing our world

Unmanned flying machines from insect-sized swarms to car-sized transports are about to become a ubiquitous part of our daily lives.

Tony DavisMotoring writer

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It’s called the RoboBee. It weighs less than a tenth of a gram and is half the length of a paperclip. The translucent, individually controlled wings become invisible as they flap 120 times per second.

According to researchers at the Wyss Institute at Harvard, when their RoboBee nano-drone eventually flies out of the lab, it has the potential to work in a swarm, just like the insect that inspired it, pollinating crops and completing a range of other useful tasks.

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Tony Davis
Tony DavisMotoring writerTony Davis writes on lifestyle specialising in cars. Email Tony at tony.davis@afr.com.au

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Original URL: https://www.afr.com/life-and-luxury/cars-bikes-and-boats/smaller-faster-deadlier-how-drones-are-changing-our-world-20240318-p5fd4k