WASHINGTON – A hummingbird dwarfs it, but a tiny pocket-sized drone is being developed for the U.S. Army that can transmit videos and photos from hard-to-reach places.
The PD-100 Black Hornet Personal Reconnaissance System, made by Prox Dynamics, was unveiled to the American public in October at an Army expo, right here in Washington.
The British military in Afghanistan has been using the Black Hornets for the past year.
Each kit includes two tiny drones, which each weight less than an ounce, outfitted with a base station which controls the units. The entire kit weighs less than 3 pounds.
It can be programmed, or operated manually.
The Black Hornet drone can fly up to 25 minutes without a charge, so is limited to traveling approximately three-quarters of a mile during a single use.
It’s makers say the system generates almost no noise, and can be assembled and airborne in less than a minute.
The drones have been in development since 2008. The British military had 100 of the unmanned air vehicles in use earlier this year.
See the prototype of the nano drone in flight:
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