Seed-inspired 32-gram, lightweight, low-cost, single-rotor monocopter drone can hover with full automatic control for 26 minutes

https://techxplore.com/news/2025-08-small-mighty-seed-monocopter-idea.html

"small propellers exhibit poor endurance/ limited thrust yet still draw significant power, overcome mimicking spinning maple seeds spiraling gently to ground... AI optimized wing shape, pitching angle, mass distribution, stabilized through passive dynamics while providing lift through large airfoil... 9.1 grams/ watt power loading... future: increase payload capacity and flight time without significantly increasing weight... reusable radiosonde balloon-borne instrument for weather sensing/ monitoring"

Related:

Tiny, gold-coated particles can lift and steer themselves using heat from near-infrared light
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1105930

Seedcoat-inspired metal lets wings change shape on their own
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1111942