The winged seeds of a maple tree and the delicate ‘puff ’ of a dandelion inspired researchers at Northwestern University, USA, to develop the world’s smallest man-made flying structure. The Microflier (Figure 1) has no motor, but is aerodynamically designed to spin and fall to the ground very slowly, in a controlled manner.
Smaller than a grain of sand (Figure 2), each tiny structure can be equipped with ultra-miniaturised sensors and circuitry (Figure 3), enabling them to monitor airborne disease and pollution. The fliers are made from environmentally benign materials that dissolve in water, so any not recovered after use degrade harmlessly. To see a YouTube video about the Microflier, go to:
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