DARPA's Nano Air Vehicle program puts UAVs on a diet
![](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/3KTwkHC9jHajqXPlaJKLVA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTQyMDtoPTM5Mg--/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/DiTJy4glWoe2mzKLc_ysiQ--~B/aD0xOTY7dz0yMTA7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/https://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2008/06/6-4-08-nano-air-vehicle.jpg)
It's not like DARPA hasn't been trying to miniaturize unmanned aerial vehicles already, but its Nano Air Vehicle program is yet another attempt to find tiny, ultra-lightweight devices that could theoretically "perform indoor and outdoor military missions." More specifically, it's looking for something less than 7.5-centimeters and under 10-grams, and the overriding goal is to "explore novel, bio-inspired, conventional and unconventional configurations to provide the warfighter with unprecedented capability for urban mission operations." Reportedly, AeroVironment already has an idea in mind for such a drone (pictured), but as these type things always go, we've no idea how soon we'll see critters like these take to the skies with a thumb-sized American flag plastered on the side.
[Via BoingBoing]