Development of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) and Micro-Air Vehicles (MAV) is proceeding at various research institutes including University of California, Berkeley. MEMS are microfabricated machines such as battery-sized internal-combustion engines. MAVs are very small, insect-sized flying machines.
Some MAVs resemble miniature airplanes and helicopters. However, MAVs that are modelled after the design principles of real insects appear to have better potential. Such artificial flying insects would be able to go places and do things that nothing else could.
Tests on real insects show that while insects only get to a speed of about 7mph, they are very efficient. Insects typically achieve a power efficiency of 30W/kg, which is 5x better than fixed-wing aircraft.
Work is continuing on challenges such as flight control systems for these artificial insects, weight reduction, self-guidance and collision-avoidance systems and the search for high energy-density fuels such as hydrogen peroxide/kerosene mixtures.
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