How to make a drone almost invisible? Scientists proposed an unexpectedly simple solution
American researchers have created an experimental drone that becomes almost unnoticeable during flight. For this, they didn't need any special coating or optical tricks.
Usually, developers try to make drones less noticeable using camouflage, special materials, or optical effects. But researchers from Northwestern University in the USA decided to take a different path. Instead of hiding the device, they tried to use the peculiarities of human vision.
To find the optimal design, as the science popularization publication IFLScience reports, researchers used artificial intelligence. Initially, a computer model generated about 20 thousand possible drone configurations capable of stable flight.
Then, AI-based optimization algorithms repeatedly changed the placement of the main drone components — the motor, propeller, control board, counterweight, and batteries — to find the optimal arrangement.
The best options were tested in a simulation that approximately reproduced human vision to assess how noticeable each of them would be. After another stage of optimization, the researchers selected the final design and brought it to reality.
The drone, named Phantom Twist, has a lightweight frame and a single propeller. During flight, it rotates around its axis at a speed of up to 25 revolutions per second. At such a speed, the human eye no longer manages to clearly distinguish its contours — they become blurred.
And since most of the structure is transparent, the few opaque elements visually merge with the background. As a result, the drone does not become invisible, but looks like a barely noticeable blurred spot.
According to the authors of the development, such a drone can be useful for wildlife observation, terrain exploration, and inspecting bridges, buildings, and other infrastructure, as its presence is less distracting.
At the same time, similar technology could theoretically be used for covert surveillance or military purposes. However, the researchers themselves do not propose such scenarios and consider only peaceful applications for their development.
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