This project focuses on a robust nano air vehicle that will be an invaluable exploratory tool in a disaster response scenario. The research flies will be able to access locations that are either dangerous or inaccessible to humans and then report back valuable sensor data about the presence of life or hazards that rescue teams should be aware of.
Insects have flight performance unmatched by man-made craft of similar size. Building on work done on beetles, commands will be sent wirelessly to a chip built on the fly and translated into electrical signals lectures implanted in the fly’s nervous system and muscles. In order to minimize mass, the integrated circuit will not require off-chip components or energy from an external battery.
