Chinese Researchers Create Four-Gram Drone

Simon Sharwood reports via The Register: Chinese researchers have created a drone that weighs just over four grams -- less than a sheet of printer paper -- and may be able to fly indefinitely. Documented in a paper published last week in Nature, the drone uses an electrostatic motor that weighs just 1.52 grams and is powered by solar cells that produce 4.5V. The paper asserts that the drone's design has a lift-to-power efficiency two to three times better than that found in traditional drones. The authors suggested that if rechargeable batteries can be added, the craft could be capable of 24-hour flying operations.

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