Successful development of a jellyfish-like flight simulator.

American scientists have just announced the successful creation of the world's first "jellyfish-like aircraft."

With its compact size and weight of just 2.1 grams, this object can fly and move in a manner similar to a jellyfish swimming in water. This invention was published in the British scientific journal Royal Society Interface on January 14th.

A model of a jellyfish-shaped flying device. (Source: dpa)

Leif Ristroph, one of the two scientists co-leading the study along with expert Stephen Childress from the Applied Mathematics Laboratory at New York University, said that they were initially interested in creating a "robotic insect" that could replace helicopters, but the result was quite unusual when the chosen animal was a jellyfish.

Engineers have long been interested in jellyfish because of their simple yet efficient movements. Over millions of years of evolution, jellyfish have developed a simple muscle and a rudimentary nervous system. Their bodies resemble a transparent, dome-shaped "coat" that can curl up and then close, expelling water through small holes and propelling them forward.

In this study, the flying device used four petal-shaped propellers, each 8cm long, which, when arranged together, formed an inverted cone. A tiny motor, attached to a crank, would make these propellers move up and down up to 20 times per second, pushing air through the underside of the "cone."

With this design, scientists have created a "bird-winged aircraft" that can fly with high stability, requiring no frequent adjustments or high energy consumption. It can also change direction by having one of its four wings operate more than the others.

The materials for manufacturing are also quite readily available, consisting of thin sheets made from lightweight carbon fiber to house the motor and create the frame for the propellers. The propellers are covered with a transparent Mylar film.

Ristoph said he and his colleague Childress were inspired by film footage of early 20th-century aviation pioneers who attempted to create a "bird-winged aircraft" mimicking the flight of insects, but lacked the knowledge or materials to do so at the time.

New York University is preparing to apply for a patent for this invention. The next step for the scientists is to build the battery and remote control.

Ristoph hopes the device can be used for military purposes such as reconnaissance flights, or for civilian purposes such as measuring air pollution. He plans to name the device AeroJelly.

According to VNA