Chinese Scientists Unveil World’s Tiniest Solar-Power Drone that Can Fly Forever

Insect-sizedsentinels with unlimited flight time revolutionize aerial observation

The morning sun bathes Beijing in a golden glow, its rays streaming through an open window and dancing across the room. In this shaft of light, a small, palm-sized device quietly hums to life. Within seconds, it lifts off the ground, hovering steadily in mid-air. This isn't just any drone - it's a groundbreaking micro aerial vehicle (MAV) that's making history as the world's first to achieve sustained flight powered solely by natural sunlight, as well as being the smallest and lightest drone ever.

In a remarkable leap forward for ultra-light aircraft technology, researchers from Beijing’s Beihang University have developed a sunlight-powered MAV weighing just 4.21 grams - about as much as a sheet of paper. This tiny marvel, known as CoulombFly, with its 20-centimeter wingspan, represents a dramatic downsizing from previous sun-powered flying machines, which were typically meter-sized and weighed kilograms.