New Mini Drone with Big Capabilities

The Black Hornet mini drone is not alone. The UAV market is getting smaller as time passes – and this does not mean the volume of the market, but the size of the unmanned aerial vehicles. Recently the United States’ Navy has revealed the CICADA (Close-in-Covert Autonomous Disposable Aircraft) – an aerial platform no bigger than a compact disc, that can gather data in place that are inaccessible to regular vehicles. The CICADA is still in its first development stages and is awaiting more funding in order to become operational, the U.S. navy reported. The CICADA’s operating concept is of using a large number of units in each mission, while each unit can only be operated once.
The vehicle cannot take-off or fly by itself but is launched to the air at a height of up to 9 km, where it in fact soars downwards to pre-destinated mark in a percision of 4.5 meters from the destination. The CICADA is not equipped with cameras or other electro-optic intelligence gathering tools, but it can carry various sensors, such as water or bio-chemical sensors, and deploy them over a large area.
The mini UAV, as mentioned, descends from a high altitude, in large numbers, and can carry different sesors – this will allow the Americans to collect data about a specific territory without the enemy having any real ability to counteract it, as it is almost an impossible mission to try and collect all the CICADA units scattered in the field.
This new navy development has positive civilian aspects, such as to be used in disaster stricken areas, or be mounted with sensors to measure temperature, humidity and other factors to study weather.
The low cost of the vehicle, only a few hundred dollars for each unit, makes it an easily disposable tool which can be used in various areas. That makes it a vehicle that is to be a central way to gather valueable information for a very low cost.
Fuente e imagen:  i-hls.com