Singapore Researchers Build Maple Seed Drone with Record 26-Minute Flight

Singapore Researchers Build Maple Seed Drone with Record 26-Minute Flight

SUTD’s maple seed-inspired monocopter achieves a record 26-minute flight with a single rotor. Lightweight, efficient, and simple, it offers promising uses in environmental monitoring and research. The project reflects a 10-year journey from large endurance drones to compact, power-efficient designs.

Maple Seed Inspired Monocopter Breaks Flight Endurance Barriers

Image Credit: SUTDResearchers at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) have achieved a bold breakthrough in small-drone efficiency. Their new monocopter, modeled on the samara, the spinning winged seed of maple trees, hovers for 26 minutes on a single rotor, marking a dramatic leap forward in micro aerial robotics.A decade earlier, SUTD tackled an endurance challenge tied to Singapore’s 50th anniversary: they built a multi-rot…