Forget about small spying devices that fly around by flapping their wings like they are defective or something, scientists say it is practically impossible to develop micro unmanned aerial vehicles by using moving parts. Instead, they propose a more Earthly approach such as powering small airplane-like systems, with the help of a jet propulsion system that produces thrust by accelerating plasma material between two electrodes with the help of the Colombian force.

Although it may seem more like a script taken out of a bad science fiction movie, actually, plasma jet engines already exist and have been previously incorporated into spacecrafts sent away into long missions. The prototype of a micro jet engine is already in development and is currently being build by DARPA in collaboration with researchers from the Oklahoma State University. It is six inches long and would easily fit in the pocket of a soldier sent into a reconnaissance mission.

Jamey Jacob, an associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, argues that such devices could one day become standard in military operations, disabling the use of UAV vehicles flying at high altitudes, which are never at the right place to make critical observations. Most of the plasma jet engines would be extremely inefficient in Earth-like conditions, because they can only produce small amounts of thrust. On the other hand, micro and nano vehicles don't need so much power to move them in the first place, thus in theory the concept should work with no problem.

Besides the development of the nano-UAV device, DARPA is also working on another vehicle of such type that could basically stay in the air for as long as five years at a time, flying over hostile areas continuously, which will bring a significant improvement to the UAV equipment currently available that has limited range.