Professor Yang Lung-jieh from the Department of Mechanical and Electro-mechanical Engineering developed a futuristic surveillance camera that, well, flies. This device was on display last month (September 28 and 30) at the Taipei International Invention Show and Technomart and wowed visitors with its unusual look. Instead of traditional fixed wings or rotary wings, Professor’s flying camera uses flapping wings, like a humming bee, to propel itself. This invention, that is also known as the flapping type micro airvehicle (MAC) was named by the professor as the Golden Snitch (Harry Potter fans may know this well!). It can be used for military or home security purposes.

Professor Yang has been working on MACs since 2004 and Golden Snitch is the third generation of MAC he has developed. It is apparently lighter (weight: 6 mg), lasts longer on lithium batteries (40 sec longer than previous models), and has a wing span of 20 centimeters. “It is pretty unique,” Professor Yang claims.

He also points out that this device hardly makes any noise when operated. Thanks to the silence and small size, it is not easily detectable, rendering it a piece of ideal equipment for military purposes such as spying. It could also be installed at home to safeguard the safety of elderly people when left alone without human care. Despite the popular use of robots and close-circuit cameras, there are certain areas these devices can not cover. In this case, Professor Yang believes his agile MAC which can reach nearly every corner of an enclosed space will replace older devices to become a reliable home security partner. ( ~Ying-hsueh Hu )