Flying Microchips for Air Pollution Tracking | Innovation

Novel Micro-Flying Device Developed

A new winged microchip, comparable in size to a grain of sand, has been engineered by researchers, potentially representing the smallest airborne device created to date. As reported by Vice, these devices are intended to be dispersed by wind currents.

Potential applications are numerous, encompassing areas such as tracking the spread of disease and monitoring air pollution levels, as detailed in a recent publication in Nature. Furthermore, the use of biodegradable materials in their construction aims to mitigate potential environmental impact.

Inspired by Nature's Design

The design principles behind these flyers were drawn from the rotational descent of seeds from trees like cottonwood. These seeds utilize a spinning motion, akin to a helicopter, to slow their fall and maximize wind dispersal, thereby extending the species’ reach.

Researchers at Northwest University refined this natural concept, achieving improved performance and miniaturization. “We think we’ve beaten biology… we’ve been able to build structures that fall in a more stable trajectory at slower terminal velocities than equivalent seeds,” explained Professor John A. Rogers, the project lead.

Pushing the Boundaries of Scale

The team successfully created helicopter-style flyers significantly smaller than naturally occurring seeds. However, they were careful to avoid diminishing returns. “All of the advantages of the helicopter design begin to disappear below a certain length scale, so we pushed it all the way, as far as you can go or as physics would allow,” Rogers stated to Vice.

Below a specific size threshold, aerodynamic functionality is lost, and the devices would behave like simple spheres in their descent.

Integrated Electronics and Sensing Capabilities

Despite their diminutive size, these devices are sufficiently large to accommodate electronic components, sensors, and power sources. The team has demonstrated versions capable of carrying payloads such as antennas.

This allows for wireless communication with smartphones or other devices. Additional sensors could be integrated to monitor environmental factors like air acidity, water quality, and levels of solar radiation.

Future Development and Environmental Considerations

Currently, the flyers remain conceptual and are not yet ready for widespread atmospheric deployment. The research team intends to explore further refinements through diverse designs.

A crucial aspect of this ongoing development is the utilization of biodegradable materials to ensure the devices do not contribute to long-term environmental pollution.

“We don’t think about these devices… as a permanent monitoring componentry but rather temporary ones that are addressing a particular need that’s of finite time duration,” Rogers clarified. “That’s the way that we’re envisioning things currently: you monitor for a month and then the devices die out, dissolve, and disappear, and maybe you have to redeploy them.”

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared on Engadget.