# Jellyfish-Mimicking Drones Researchers at NYU Created a Jellyfish Drone That Hovers in the Air By Jennifer Paul | Published 2014-01-20 | Unique Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/jellyfish-drone References: [sploid.gizmodo](http://sploid.gizmodo.com/scientists-create-winged-jellyfish-drone-and-its-beaut-1501888852) & [nyu.edu](http://www.nyu.edu/) Researchers from New York University recently created a jellyfish drone that can imitate the movement of a [swimming jellyfish](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/swimming-robots-1). The drone was designed by Leif Ristroph who is an applied mathematician at NYU. He presented the jellyfish drone at the fluid dynamics conference in Pittsburgh. By using jellyfish as their inspiration the researches set out to accomplish an active stable hovering drone that only uses [flapping wings](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hoverair-x1-pro). Ristroph initially wanted to create a drone based off insect wings; however, he ended up having the wings pointed downward and not sticking out to the side. When the wings started flapping back and forth there was enough power to lift the drone into the air. We will just have to wait and see other robots Ristroph will come up with next. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 6.1/10 - Popularity: 83% | Activity: 92% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Unique](https://www.trendhunter.com/unique) > [Inventions](https://www.trendhunter.com/inventions) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Jellyfish-inspired Drones:** The development of drones that mimic the movement of jellyfish opens up new possibilities in aerial mobility and surveillance technology. - **Flapping-wing Mechanisms for Drones:** Creating drones that use flapping-wing mechanisms, like the jellyfish drone, offers a new avenue for research and development of highly efficient and stable drones. - **Nature-inspired Drone Technology:** The use of nature-inspired designs, such as the jellyfish drone, highlights the potential for more efficient and innovative drone technology that is inspired by the natural world. ### Where This Applies - **Aerospace and Defense:** The aerospace and defense industries could utilize jellyfish-inspired drones for tactical surveillance and reconnaissance missions. - **Environmental Monitoring:** The development of flapping-wing drones could revolutionize the way we monitor and study our environment, especially in hard-to-reach locations. - **Entertainment:** The use of jellyfish-inspired drones in entertainment and advertising, such as for aerial shows or product displays, could provide a unique and captivating experience for audiences. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Aquatic Shark-Inspired Drones](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/waterborne-drone.md) - [Miniature Flying Robots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tiny-robot.md) - [Biomimicry Bird-Like Drones](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bionic-bird-xfly.md) - [Ultrasonic Balloon-Borne Drones](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/blimp-drone.md) - [Automated Ocean-Cleaning Robots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/jellyfishbot.md) - [Waterproof Self-Flying Drones](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hoverair-aqua-drone.md) - [Bug-Like Flying Robots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/micro-insect-robot.md) - [Multidirectional Miniature Robots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/multidirectional-miniature-robots.md) - [Inflatable Body Digital Drones](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sobar-drone.md)