Drones have started adapting insect-like and animalistic features into their designs. No matter how far we have come, nature is still one of life’s best architects. We humans are still trying to take inspiration from natural designs even in the modern age.
Newer drones, in order to add efficiency or function, often take these designs. Some have bird legs, others bird wings, and even insect carapace patterns. Bird legs can help during takeoffs. Bird wings can create a longer flight while conserving energy through gliding. Insect carapace designs improve durability of a drone, especially after crashing.
MetaFly Review
Another drone takes inspiration from insect anatomy. The MetaFly drone has the wings and body like a moth. The wings are present instead of the traditional rotors, which often come by fours in quadcopters. This design is a very popular one, as it enables efficient takeoff, mid-air control, and speed.
How does the MetaFly fare against other drones? Using its insect wings to generate flight, it can fly at longer distances without much effort. That is because, like its real life counterpart, the drone has very lightweight composition. While it adds in distance, it does take away some of the flight stability provided by your traditional rotor design. This means it may be a bit hectic to fly in less-than-desirable weather. Strong winds for example can mess up the MetaFly’s flight path.
Pricing and Campaign
It is currently at $89 on Kickstarter, so interested flyers should take note. The MetaFly’s design is very simple. To add to its lightweight design, it has been stripped to its bare essentials. This means no heavy casing or even stable landing legs are present. The lightweight factor adds a bit to its flight time, though it is still not much in total. It can fly for 8 minutes – which barely passes for anything these days. However, for the price, you get a drone with a unique look and decent mileage.
