• Meet the Mr. Nice Guy of Drones. Environmentally Friendly, Biodegradable and Non-Military

Air Monitoring

Meet the Mr. Nice Guy of Drones. Environmentally Friendly, Biodegradable and Non-Military

Dec 08 2014

When we think of drones, most often we think of their being used for military purposes, either as weapons or as reconnaissance instruments. In fact, in a study by Stanford University, Brown University and Spelman College in the USA, almost 70% of those asked (a total of 117 people) immediately associated the word “drone” with military purposes above all other thoughts. As such, they have something of a bad reputation when it comes to humanitarian or progressive thinking.

However, a team of 15 students from the very same trio of universities have attempted to take the first steps in rectifying this public image. How? Through the creation of a biodegradable monitoring drone, which can infiltrate and monitor sensitive environments without adversely affecting them.

The drone

The drone itself is composed mostly of fibrous mycelium, which is a substance commonly found in fungi and which takes on the appearance of roots or wheat. This material is perfect because of its lightweight and renewable properties, as well as the fact that it will disintegrate into nothing over the course of time.

Equally attractive is the biodegradability of the silver nanoparticle ink, which are used to print the high-tech circuits which make up the drone’s brain and relaying systems. Outside of all of this sophisticated web of materials is a sticky cellulose, grown from bacteria, which will allow the drone to attach itself to hard-to-reach places.

The drone is primarily intended to be used for sensitive environments, such as coral reefs, where accessibility is difficult to achieve without harming the ecosystem. The sticky nature of the drone will mean it can resist ocean currents, while the fact that it will disintegrate within a matter of months allows it to gather data and then return to the Earth from whence it came, without damaging it.

Innocent uses … for now

Because the drone’s biodegradability is geared towards protecting the environment rather than protecting itself (from enemy hands, for example), its current disintegration time make it unfeasible for the military to use in their purposes. They would prefer something that would vanish within mere hours to escape detection by unwelcome eyes or prying hands.

Although Joseph Shih, who is lecturer at Stanford and an advisor to the team, admits that searching for faster degradation would be an ultimate goal of the endeavour, the current project is about nothing more than helping the environment – and perhaps helping drones’ PR in the process.

The prototype was developed for display at the 2014 International Genetically-Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition in October and though it failed to win any prizes, it certainly has people talking more about drones in a civilian context. Indeed, similar civilian drones were also showcased at the Eco-Innovation Event of the Year last September, showing that attitudes to our robotic friends are gradually changing.  


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