There was a show on the history channel that featured a DARPA remote-controlled vehicle, about 4 inches across, all black, with cameras. If they are
willing to show that to the public then they have much more highly advanced drones in develpment. Incorporation of nano-technology only makes sense,
from a DARPA perspective.
You'll find
this interesting...
The most important technology specific to MAVs was created in 1995 when MIT's Lincoln labs developed a TV camera on a computer chip. The MIT
scientists quickly developed plans for a micro aircraft to carry their new camera. While the planned aircraft would never have got off the ground, the
concept aroused much outside interest. MIT's camera provided the opportunity to employ a micro vehicle in a useful mission. Previously cameras had
been too bulky to fit on such a small vehicle.
Micro Air Vehicles
The second major field of advance is in micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS). These are fully working devices, such as engines, that have been built
at microscopic size. MEMS advances mean that components essential to a full size aircraft, such as gears, bearings, combustion chambers or flight
controls, can all be made on a micro scale. MEMS will also allow the construction of tiny instruments such as accelerometers that are required for an
internal navigation system.
Also try a search for "flapping wing propulsion"
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has selected for negotiation six proposals to develop flight-enabling micro air vehicle
technologies as part of the Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) program. A total of approximately $12 million has been allocated by DARPA for the flight-enabling
technologies effort over the next three years. Award of funds is subject to negotiation.
The selected proposals, which range in size from approximately $650,000 to $3,000,000, are listed below. Final amounts will be determined during
negotiations.
* Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass. - “Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) Based Micro-Gas Turbine Engines for
Micro-Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)”
* D-STAR Engineering, Shelton, Conn. - “Low-Observable, Safe-Operation, Fuel Efficient, Light Weight Propulsion and Power System for Advanced
Micro Air Vehicles”
* Technology in Blacksburg Inc., Blacksburg, Va. - “Thermoelectric-Based Advanced Micro-Air Vehicle (MAV)”
* SRI International, Menlo Park, Calif. - “Flapping-Wing Propulsion Using Electrostrictive Polymer Artificial Muscle Actuators”
* Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn. - “An Elasto-Dynamic Ornithoptic Flying Robotic Insect”
* California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif. - “Micro Bat”
And that was in 1997.
