A group of engineers has created small drones that can lift a weight 40 times their own.
The project was developed by the staff of the School of Engineering at Stanford University (USA) and the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne (Switzerland). FlyCroTugs drones are modified in such a way that an adhesive surface resembling a gecko's paw allows them to cling to any surface.
Drones can also “grab” and move objects with a winch and rope that weigh 40 times more than their own. The video shows how two drones try to open the door and successfully cope with the task. Researchers report that when creating air transport, which should be fast, small and able to move large loads, they were inspired by the natural world and looked at how the wasps were arranged.
According to scientists, the small size of FlyCroTugs means that they can move around confined spaces and fly close to people, which makes them useful for search and rescue operations.