A new kind of drone has been designed to fold up its arms and squeeze into tight spots, potentially to scout around on rescue missions. Researchers from the University of Zurich developed a drone with four arms that can retract while flying to fit into gaps and holes. The goal is to send drones where humans can’t go and make it easier to locate victims in a collapsed building in the event of an earthquake or fire.
To some extent, these types of rescue drones already exist, but they are sometimes too large and oblong-shaped to fit into most openings, like a crack in the wall or through fallen bars. The researchers say their new drone’s shape-shifting abilities were inspired by the movement of birds. When faced with a narrow entrance, it...