A six-inch robotic spy plane modelled after a bat would gather data from sights, sounds and smells in urban combat zones and transmit information back to a soldier in real time.That’s the US Army’s concept, and it has awarded the University of Michigan (U-M) College of Engineering a five-year, $10-million grant to help make it happen. The grant establishes the U-M Centre for Objective Microelectronics and Biomimetic Advanced Technology, called COM-BAT for short; and includes an option to renew for an additional five years and $12.5 million.Researchers at the US-based University will focus on the microelectronics. They will develop sensors, communication tools and batteries for this micro-aerial vehicle that’s been dubbed “the bat.” Engineers envision tiny cameras for stereo vision, an array of mini microphones that could home-in on sounds from different directions, and small detectors for nuclear radiation and poisonous gases.Low-power miniaturised radar and a very sensitive navigation system would help the bat find its way at night. Energy scavenging from solar, wind, vibration and other sources would recharge the bat’s lithium battery. The aircraft would use radio to send signals back to troops.“Some are concepts, but many of them are the next generation of devices we have already developed. We’re trying to push the edge of our technologies to achieve functionality that was not possible before,” said Kamal Sarabandi, the COM-BAT director and a professor in the U-M Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.The COM-BAT project also involves the University of California at Berkeley and the University of New Mexico. It is one of four centres the US Army launched as a collaborative effort among industry, academia and the Army Research Laboratory to work toward this vision of a small, robotic aircraft that could sense and communicate.
