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TechRadar
TechRadar
Sam Kieldsen

University engineers have figured out how to build an 'invisible' drone — here's the science behind it

Drone Northwestern University
Phantom Twist invisible drone.
  • Prototype drone spins its entire body up to 25 times per second to blur itself into near-invisibility
  • Phantom Twist's single motor spins the whole airframe in one direction and its propeller in the other
  • AI design pipeline tested 20,000 possible layouts to find the optimal configuration

Drones have a visibility problem. Whether they're filming guests at a wedding or hunting for candid shots of nesting birds, the moment a drone is noticed, it can change the behavior of whatever it's observing — wildlife scatters, people act differently, and you end up with iffy results.

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