IT'S A PLANE. NO, A WASP

SURVEILLANCE

UNMANNED reconnaissance aircraft-drones-are becoming increasingly popular with the military. They're relatively inexpensive and effective, and they don't put pilots at risk flying over enemy territory. The current model in use in Iraq, the Scan Eagle, has a wingspan of 10 feet. That's not big by aircraft standards, but the Pentagon wants to go even smaller. Much smaller. It's funding research on a "micro air vehicle," dubbed the Wasp, that's only 13 inches across and weighs 1.75 ounces-and that includes two video cameras. Designed and built by AeroVironment, a California manufacturer of unmanned aircraft, the Wasp is powered by a 4.25-ounce lithium-ion battery. Though it's launched by hand, it pilots itself using the Global Positioning System. The Navy recently tested the Wasp during exercises in the Pacific Ocean. What's the buzz on the Wasp's future? For now, the military isn't saying. -TG

Copyright American Society for Engineering Education Sep 2005
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