Engineers at Northwestern University have developed the Phantom Twist, a palm-sized drone designed to evade human eyesight by spinning rapidly, Popular Mechanics reported.
The craft weighs little more than an ounce and rotates 25 times per second around its centre of gravity. To build it, researchers generated 20,000 flight designs with computer models, using algorithms to position a motor, propeller, circuit board, counterweight and batteries for stable flight.
Emma Alexander, a Northwestern researcher on the project, stated that the eye averages the transparent frame and opaque parts with the background into a slight haze. Michael Rubenstein, who led the work, said in a statement that "low visibility through persistent motion is something few people have explored." The team noted that while the craft could inspect roads or track wildlife, future versions require quieter propulsion.
