Mimicking birds and insects is the future of drones

Published: Aug. 19, 2020, 9:25 a.m.

Drones are a huge industry used in agriculture, construction, real estate, filmmaking and military surveillance. Since the pandemic began, they’ve been used to deliver packages and medical supplies, and some companies have even promised that drones could detect COVID-19 symptoms from afar. But in some ways, drones are still in the early stages techwise. Some engineers believe the best way to improve the tech is to copy nature. Marketplace’s Stephen Beard has been talking to the boss of Animal Dynamics, a British tech firm specializing in biomechanics and working on drone design.