AeroViroment researchers have already burned through $2.1 million of DARPA grant money to create this hummingbird robot. It is the first robot capable of hovering without the use of blades, instead it flaps its wings thirty times per minute, simulating the movements of a hummingbird. The rational is that hummingbirds are more efficient with energy than helicopters.

The pentagons goal is to build a miniature robot with a self-contained power supply capable of hovering and making tight maneuvers. Once they figure out how to add a miniature camera and manage the battery life it will be production ready.

Once completed the hummer bot will be perfect for disaster zone reconnaissance, zipping through rubble searching for the injured, tracking down criminals and eventually exploring mars. The only worry I have is that someday these things will be zooming around keeping tabs on everything, imagine a traffic cam that can follow one time offenders. But until then these little suckers look pretty great!