Lockheed’s Samarai: A Maple Seed Inspired Aircraft

While quadrotors are a popular topic here at MAKE, Lockheed Martin is taking things in the other direction with Samarai, their proof-of-concept monocoptor. The design is inspired by a maple seed, often called a “whirlybird” for the way it falls from the tree, rotating as it slowly floats towards the earth. Lockheed’s prototype is 10 inches long, but according to Popular Mechanics, they plan to shrink it down to the size of a fingernail and perhaps use it as a handheld aerial surveillance tool. That, or for annoying our younger siblings. [via Geekosystem]