Pentagon’s Robo-Hummingbird Flies Like the Real Thing

By Noah Shachtman

Military-backed researchers have built a tiny drone that looks and flies like a hummingbird, flapping its little robotic wings to stay in the air. So far, the mock bird, built for Pentagon mad-science division Darpa, has only stayed aloft for 20 seconds at a time. But that short flight was enough to show the potential of a whole new class of miniature spies, inspired by nature. Darpa just handed AeroVironment, makers of the winged "nano air vehicle," another $2.1 million to build a hummingbot 2.0.

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2009/07/video-pentagons-robo-hummingbird-flies-like-the-real-thing/