Northwestern University engineers develop smallest human made flying structure

The engineers of the Northwestern University in US have developed a winged microchip that has become the smallest human-made flying structure developed until now. The winged chip is smaller than an ant.

The Northwestern University announced the microflier chip. The micorflier is sized like a grain of sand and smaller than a regular ant. The chip does not require a motor or an engine to drive it. Rather, it can catch flight through wind and propeller like helicopter.The winged chips are built by using miniaturized technology and are equipped with sensors, power sources, and antennas to allow wireless communication. Interestingly, the microflier can also store memory data.

The engineers developed the microflier with an aim to give flight to small-scale electronic systems.  These microflier is highly functional. It has the capability to examine environment and monitoring contamination levels, population surveillance, or even track diseases.The engineers at the university studied aerodynamics of maple trees and wind-dispersed seeds. It helped them better design the microflier with high configuration, capability, and make it an ideal monitoring system.

The micorflier can fall with more stable trajectories and at low velocities. Developing stable trajectories and low terminal velocities was the greatest challenges while developing the microflier. Also, developing sensors, radios, batteries, and other components at micro level with high efficiency was also another challenge for the engineers.The winged microchip that has become the smallest human-made flying structure developed until now.