Introducing the First Biodegradable Drone

Imagine a drone that not only boasts a light and sturdy frame for cameras and other equipment, but also one that can disappear in a matter of hours if it happens to crash. This could be a boon both for military officials and conservationists alike who don't want to leave their mark on the environment.

Now we are one step closer to seeing that technology become a reality. New Scientist reported this week how the inaugural flight of the "bio-drone" occurred earlier this month.

The "biological drone," as it's called, by Lynn Rothschild of NASA's Ames Research Center, currently consists of basic quadrocopter propellers, sensors, and a sturdy but completely biodegradable frame.

Made of a root-like fungal material called mycelium, the bio-drone frame was crafted by Ecovative Design, a company based in Green Island, NY, that literally grows the material as a lightweight sustainable alternative for packaging and the cores of surfboards.

This material is also reminiscent of a chalky-white tower that could be found in the courtyard of MoMA PS1, an offshoot of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City. The tower, called Hy-Fi, was built as a statement of environmental consciousness, in which fungal-grown bricks were used to build a temporary shelter. Remarkably, these lightweight bricks are entirely bio-degradable, and while they can be made to be water-resistant, they can also literally melt away in the rain, making cleanup of emergency shelters easy.

The bio-drone frame works similarly, where if left to the elements in the advent of a crash, it will break down and wash away.

"No one would know if you'd spilled some sugar water or if there'd been an airplane there," Rothschild, who crafted the drone, proudly told New Scientist.

The researcher and her team's next aim is reportedly to make safe-to-degrade sensors. They say that they have even already started studying how to build them using modified bacteria.