China has revealed the development of a mosquito-sized unmanned aerial vehicle, designed for surveillance, reconnaissance, and covert military operations.
The micro-drone was developed by the Robotics Laboratory at the National University of Defence Technology (NUDT) in Hunan Province.
The prototype was showcased in a report aired on the military channel CCTV-7, where researchers presented ultra-small drones that are extremely difficult to detect with the naked eye. One of the researchers explained that this type of miniature bionic robot is ideally suited for intelligence-gathering missions in highly sensitive and contested battlefield environments.
The drone features an extremely compact structure with delicate, leaf-like wings and thin legs. The report also highlighted another variant equipped with four wings, which can be controlled via a smartphone, underscoring China’s growing focus on micro-robotics and advanced reconnaissance technologies.
