Khaberni - In recent years, quadcopter drone technologies have seen rapid development, with reductions in their sizes and improvements in their stability and responsiveness. Nevertheless, most innovations did not exceed the usual miniaturization limits, until the experiment by "Harder Sam," a YouTube channel owner, who succeeded in designing the world's smallest FPV drone, with an astonishing size of just 22 mm from axis to axis.
This extremely small drone, which easily fits inside a Pringles can, weighs only 25 grams including the battery and camera, and is capable of flying with the stability and agility comparable to its larger counterparts.
This innovation came as a result of meticulous redesign of each motor, wire, and electrical circuit, drawing inspiration from the "Bone Plane" framework that places two overlapping fans on each end, which reduces size without compromising on stability or thrust, according to "Interesting Engineering".
Sam faced significant challenges, from adjusting flight stability using Betaflight Configurator software, to performing precise soldering under magnification and removing excess material to enhance performance. Despite its small size, the drone managed to execute sharp turns and maintain a precise response to the controller, with an average flight time of two and a half minutes, only slightly less than larger drones.
The biggest challenge with this small drone is the launching and landing process, due to exposed propellers and the lack of protective guards, requiring utmost precision from the user.
While Sam's innovation does not radically change the rules of drone design, it proves that patience and precision can overcome size limitations, and that very small drones can deliver exceptional performance, even at a size not exceeding 22 mm.
