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South China Morning Post
12 hours ago
- Science
- South China Morning Post
Chinese military robotics lab creates mosquito-sized microdrone for covert operations
A robotics laboratory at the National University of Defence Technology (NUDT) in central China's Hunan province has developed a mosquito-sized drone for covert military operations. NUDT researchers showed their work on different types of robots – from humanoid machines to tiny drones barely visible to the eye – in a report aired on CCTV 7, China Central Television's military channel, on June 14. 'Here in my hand is a mosquito-like type of robot. Miniature bionic robots like this one are especially suited to information reconnaissance and special missions on the battlefield', Liang Hexiang, a student at NUDT, told CCTV while holding up the drone between his fingers. 08:18 Flying taxis, airships and drones: the rise of China's low-altitude economy Flying taxis, airships and drones: the rise of China's low-altitude economy In the video of the UAV, two tiny wings with a leaflike structure were attached to the sides of the stick-shaped drone body along with three hair-thin 'legs'. The report highlighting advances in robotics engineering also showed a prototype controlled via smartphone with four wings, two moving horizontally on each side of the body. Their tiny size makes manufacturing this new type of drone challenging: sensors, power devices, control circuits and other elements must fit into an extremely limited space. It requires collaboration between various disciplines, such as the engineering of microscopic devices, materials science and bionics. The micro UAV Black Hornet, a palm-sized, helicopter-shaped drone developed in Norway, is widely used by armed forces around the globe today.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
China claims its stealth drones fly 3x longer using 50% less energy than US rivals
China has allegedly taken over the US in the development of a state-of-the-art new stealth aircraft, a report from the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reveals. Newly published research shows that Beijing is one step ahead of Washington in developing the next generation of stealth drones. These rely on eliminating traditional control surfaces, such as flaps and tail fins to reduce radar reflections and thermal signatures. The next-generation stealth drones China is developing replace traditional control surfaces with fluidic systems. These steer jets using precise air pulses, enabling greater stealth and higher fuel efficiency. According to the SCMP report, the Pentagon recognized the need for this technology early on. However, DARPA only greenlit the X-65 program in 2023 to develop and validate fluidic system jets. DARPA, the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency, is responsible for stealth jets and GPS. The US agency is known for developing world-leading defense innovations. However, according to the new report, China has overtaken it when it comes to fluidic systems, which are also known as CRANE (Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors). According to a paper by Professor Luo Zhenbing with China's National University of Defence Technology (NUDT), the US's X-65 program is years behind China's operational systems. The paper, published in last month's Acta Aeronautica et Astronautica Sinica journal, states that China was already testing a CRANE aircraft in 2021, while the US was still drawing up concepts. Aside from being ahead in the development timeline, Luo and his colleagues also claim China's technology has broader applications than DARPA's X-65. Not only that, it is also more energy efficient and will have a longer operational lifespan. It's worth noting, of course, that DARPA's technology is in the early development phase. This means that comparisons between the two technologies today won't reflect the finished models. China's systems use DSJ, or dual synthetic jet, technology. This generates a pulse of air by vibrating ceramic plates in wing compartments. DARPA's designs, meanwhile, which use single air chambers which are prone to breakdown. China's DSJ units use two chambers that pulse alternately, reducing stress and preventing these breakdowns. According to NUDT this dual-chamber design prevents pressure damage during dives. It can even enable underwater use. Using the technology, a submersible drone could suddenly rise from the sea and start flying. Luo's paper states that DSJ units last three times as long as the US's equivalent while using half the energy. China's first DSJ-controlled drones – fixed-wing UAVs – took flight in 2021. In 2023, NUDT engineers started testing DSJ-controlled flying-wing drones. By contrast, DARPA's X-65 program is still in the concept stage and no flight tests have taken place. That is, at least according to publicly available information. The US's big-tail drone, designed to validate fluidic controls for the US Air Force's secretive Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter, is expected to make its debut flight this year.
