Researchers at Delft University of Technology have unveiled the SquirrelDrone, a bio-inspired unmanned aircraft that changes its entire body shape during flight—mirroring the locomotion of a flying squirrel. Unlike conventional drones that rely on rigid frames and rotor adjustments, this prototype stretches its limbs, bends its spine, flicks its tail, and deforms a soft skin membrane to alter aerodynamics in real time.

The design draws directly from nature, rejecting the common approach of mimicking bird flight with fixed-wing or flapping mechanisms. Instead, the SquirrelDrone emulates the gliding and maneuvering tactics of flying squirrels, which use precise body contortions to control lift, drag, and trajectory without wings that flap like birds’.

Flight tests confirm the morphing strategy works, enabling stable and agile movement through complex airspaces. By distributing shape changes across the whole body rather than isolating control to wings or rotors, the drone achieves greater adaptability in turbulent or confined environments—valuable for indoor inspection, search-and-rescue, or wildlife monitoring.

This whole-body morphing represents a shift in drone engineering toward soft, adaptive structures. For content creators, the technology hints at future platforms capable of smoother, quieter, and more cinematic flight in tight spaces—potentially enabling new shot types without the noise or bulk of traditional drones.

While still in the research phase, the SquirrelDrone demonstrates how biomechanics can inspire next-gen aerial robots. TU Delft’s work underscores a growing trend: looking beyond birds to other agile gliders in nature for smarter, more versatile drone designs.