AeroVironment Nano-Hummingbird has a video camera


A while ago, we covered a Robot Hummingbird created by a Japanese researcher named Hiroshi Liu, and it was intended to have a camera.

That article was written a year ago, and I don’t have any idea if this Nano Hummingbird is related to that aforementioned Robot Hummingbird, but it does have a video camera.

This tiny aircraft has a wingspan of 6.5 inches and weighs in at 19 grams. I have no idea what powers it, but it carries its own energy source and has flapping wings for propulsion and control.

I’m not certain if you know about this, but hummingbirds are one of the most maneuverable aerial animals. They are like the helicopters of the avian world, and they are the only birds that fly backwards. The Nano Hummingbird can climb, descend, as well as fly left and right, forward and backward. It can also rotate clockwise and counter-clockwise, and have an airspeed of 11 miles per hour.

So, is this the next generation of flying cameras? It could be, provided hummingbirds are a common sight. Considering that I have never seen a hummingbird that let me see it up close, I’m not certain whether or not this camera would fool me if I were up close.

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