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Chinese military robotics lab creates mosquito-sized microdrone for covert operations

State broadcaster CCTV showcases defence university’s miniature bionic robots suited to reconnaissance and battlefield missions

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A CCTV screenshot shows a Chinese mosquito-sized UAV developed at the National University of Defence Technology and suited to covert military operations. Photo: CCTV
Nora Mankel
A robotics laboratory at the National University of Defence Technology (NUDT) in central China’s Hunan province has developed a mosquito-sized drone for covert military operations.
NUDT researchers showed their work on various types of robots – from humanoid machines to tiny drones barely visible to the eye – in a report aired on CCTV 7, China Central Television’s military channel, on the weekend.

“Here in my hand is a mosquito-like type of robot. Miniature bionic robots like this one are especially suited to information reconnaissance and special missions on the battlefield,” Liang Hexiang, a student at NUDT, told CCTV while holding up the drone between his fingers.

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In the video of the unmanned aerial vehicle, two tiny wings with a leaflike structure were attached to the sides of the stick-shaped drone body along with three hair-thin “legs”.

The report highlighting advances in robotics engineering also showed a prototype controlled via smartphone with four wings, two moving horizontally on each side of the body.

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