A drone that can be eaten at critical moments, with rice cakes as wings and a speed of 10 meters per second

For a small drone, someone actually used rice cakes (compressed rice flowers) as wings, just like the picture below:

This bold idea comes from ETH Zurich. Even though it uses rice crackers as wings, this drone can increase the payload from 30% to 50% of its own weight. %. Remember that the payload of most delivery drones only accounts for about 30% of their weight. ​

The reason why researchers develop this kind of drone is that rescue workers can use it to efficiently deliver food to those who need food and cannot get it. If they can , people in trouble can also eat the wings. Compared with maintaining life, losing the wings will be a small price to pay. ​

The researchers designed the partially edible wings using compressed puffed rice (rice cakes) because the food is compatible with a new type of foam called expanded polypropylene (EPP). ) resemblance. This material is a commonly used wing material in drones because it is both strong and lightweight, and puffed rice meets these requirements. While it's not as powerful as EPP, it's still a good choice. And meters are affordable, easy to use, and easy to laser cut. ​

Generally speaking, rice cakes are round, so the first step in making the wings is to use a laser to cut them into hexagons, which will make them easier to stick together. The rice pieces are glued together with gelatin, and after they are completely dry, the wing is wrapped with plastic and tape to ensure it does not get damaged in humid conditions.

## Wing size is determined not by flight requirements but by nutritional requirements. In this case, an average wing can produce 300 calories, the equivalent of a breakfast. ​

Although this is still just a prototype, this semi-edible drone can indeed fly, by adding a motor, some servos to drive the tail surface for control, and With a small battery, it can reach a speed of about 10 meters per second. ​

To learn more about this drone, IEEE spoke with Bokeon Kwak, the study’s lead author. ​

IEEE: What does the wing smell like?

Kwak: Edible wings taste like crunchy Rice Krispies cookies with a bit of gelatin (which acts as an edible glue to hold the Rice crackers remain in flat shape). But no artificial flavors have been added yet.

IEEE: What is your next research direction?

Kwak: We will next focus on other structural components, such as wing control surfaces (like ailerons or rudders) that will be made from edible materials through 3D food printing. There are other things to consider, such as edible/water-resistant coatings on the surface of the edible wings, and degradation testing of the edible wings over time.

This drone is actually just one application of the European research program RoboFood, which aims to develop edible robots in a way that maximizes performance and nutritional value. Edible sensing, actuation and computing are all part of the project, and researchers are taking on the more challenging aspects of edible research.

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