Is China still catching up on robotics? Despite late industrialization in the 1950s, the country is now on top of the world in the sector. Between 2022 and 2023, more than half of the robots developed in the world were developed in China. Some of them represent the future of home automation. Others will join the ranks of the army. Engineers from the National University of Defense Technology, the forefront of Chinese military research, have just unveiled a new range of military drones. In the lot: a spy nanodrone the size of a mosquito.
With its three thin legs and two small wings, this mosquito, much more sneaky than its natural cousin, is difficult to detect with the naked eye, describes the South China Morning Post relayed by Futurism. “Miniature bionic robots like this one are designed for espionage or tactical reconnaissance missions in the field”explains, his nanodrone between his fingers, Liang Hexiang, the student in charge of presenting it on state television.
If the university focuses on military research, the specialized site Interesting Engineering adds that microdrones in general are attracting interest from the medical and environmental sectors. They could be the future of surgery, medical imaging or even the collection of data relating to pollution, for example.
Smaller than its Western competitors
The announcement of this spy mosquito gives few details on the maximum flight duration, production cost and autonomy – especially since miniature drones particularly suffer from the small size of their battery. But this innovation shows that China is indeed closing the gap on the European and American armies.
Several equivalents exist, but they are significantly larger: the Norwegian Black Hornet, which already equips a good number of armies, including the French forces, or the Trace from Vantage Robotics, has a flight time of 30 minutes.
The time frame for the mosquito robot to pass from laboratories to the Chinese arsenal, however, remains difficult to assess. Last November, Chinese military engineers touted the merits of a new “drone mothership” capable of carrying around 100 drones at a time 6,500 kilometers away. This eleven-ton behemoth should be operational at the end of June. If nanodrones follow the same pace, they could quickly find themselves on the ground.
In addition to the insect drone, students from the National University of Defense Technology presented half a dozen other devices. For example, there is a four-winged combat drone controlled by a smartphone. But perhaps the most impressive piece is another drone capable of being propelled by an artillery cannon.
It manages to resist the aerodynamic shock and regain control of its flight after around ten kilometers traveled, all in just a few seconds, thus saving enormous amounts of autonomy and allowing it to be activated from a more secure position.
