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Flying Robots Made From Cellophane?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the wrap-around-heads-as-weapons dept.

Roland Piquepaille writes "Researchers have discovered that ordinary cellulose is a piezoelectric and smart material that can flap when exposed to an electric field. ScienceNOW reports that electricity can give life to cellophane. When you put a very thin layer of gold on each side of cellophane, and that you apply electric current to the gold layers, one positive, one negative, the cellophane curved toward the positive side. If you switch the voltage fast enough, the cellophane starts to act as a wing. So it should be possible to use it to build lightweight flying robots carrying cameras, microphones or sensors for surveillance missions. Read more for additional references and pictures about this electroactive paper (EAPap)."

10 of 148 comments (clear)

  1. I for one welcome... by inteller · · Score: 3, Funny

    ....our new paper thin flying overlords.

    1. Re:I for one welcome... by cp.tar · · Score: 3, Funny

      When I first read the title, I thought it said "Flying Robots Made From Cellphone".

      At least they would still be paper-thin...

      --
      Ignore this signature. By order.
    2. Re:I for one welcome... by Warg!+The+Orcs!! · · Score: 3, Funny

      ...our new paper-thin flying overlords that can keep food fresh in the refrigerator for up to three days

      --
      Travelling forward in time at a rate of 1 second per second.
  2. Artifact Creature by dfedfe · · Score: 5, Funny

    And given that they have a casting cost of 0, we'll have a ton of them.

  3. Need to get my eyes checked. by raider_red · · Score: 5, Funny

    The first time I read that, I read it as "Flying Robots Made From Cell Phones". That would be seriously scary, getting attacked by a bunch of flying cell phones could ruin your whole day.

    --
    It's good to use your head, but not as a battering ram.
    1. Re:Need to get my eyes checked. by SeaFox · · Score: 3, Funny

      That would be seriously scary, getting attacked by a bunch of flying cell phones could ruin your whole day.

      Especially if they were all ringing with incoming calls from telemarketers.

  4. Cool! by Groo+Wanderer · · Score: 3, Funny

    Wow, featherweight sub-gram flying things! I wonder if they can lift the the 23 kilo car battery needed to power it? Still, way cool.

    I am going to wait for the one that can carry the HD camera though, is it worth investing in SD parts at this point in time?

                      -Charlie

    1. Re:Cool! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny
      I wonder if they can lift the the 23 kilo car battery needed to power it?

      Supposing two of them carry it together?

    2. Re:Cool! by meta · · Score: 3, Funny

      Supposing two of them carry it together?
      What, held under the dorsal guiding feathers?

      --
      Sometimes they fool you by walking upright.
  5. This will no-doubt... by NoseBag · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...cause quite a flap.

    --
    Cloned foods give the statement "We had that last week!" a whole new meaning.