# Crash-Resistant Drones This Origami Drone's Rubbery Arms Can Withstand the Impact of Crashes By Rahul Kalvapalle | Published 2018-07-30 | Tech Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/origami-drones References: [newatlas](https://newatlas.com/insect-drone-soft-crash/55629/) & [actu.epfl.ch](https://actu.epfl.ch/news/an-insect-inspired-drone-deforms-upon-impact/) A team of scientists and engineers at [EPFL's](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/robotic-dogs) [Laboratory of Intelligent Systems](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/electrolux-laundry-robot) have developed a high-tech origami drone that is designed to be able to manipulate its structure so as to minimize the potential damage that can be caused in a crash situation. What's great about this particular origami drone is that its arms, which are clearly inspired by insect wings, are crafted out of a special elastic material that is situated between layers of harder material. This design allows the drone's arms to maintain a stiff state for easy flying, but when a lot of force is experienced in the event of a crash, the arms are still able to bend. With its compact design and improved ability to withstand impact, this origami drone could be highly suitable for industrial inspection tasks as well as disaster relief support work. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.3/10 - Popularity: 18% | Activity: 14% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 90% men, 10% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/tech) > [Science](https://www.trendhunter.com/science) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Crash-resistant Drones:** Opportunity for drones to be developed with structures that minimize damage in crash situations. - **Elastic Materials:** Potential for the use of elastic materials in various industries to enhance impact resistance. - **Compact Design:** Demand for compact drones that can withstand crashes and perform industrial inspection tasks or disaster relief support work. ### Where This Applies - **Drone Manufacturing:** Disruptive innovation opportunity for drone manufacturers to create crash-resistant drones for various applications. - **Material Science:** Opportunity for material scientists to develop and optimize elastic materials for impact resistance in different industries. - **Industrial Inspection:** Potential for the use of crash-resistant drones in industrial inspection tasks to improve safety and efficiency. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Inflatable Body Digital Drones](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sobar-drone.md) - [Incline-Friendly Drones](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/modified-drone.md) - [Flame-Resistant Firefighting Drones](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/firefighting-drones.md) - [Parachute Delivery Systems](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kirigami-parachute.md) - [Extreme-Heat Firefighting Drones](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/firedrone-by-empa.md) - [Sustainable Bamboo-Crafted Drones](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bamboo-drone.md) - [Foldable All-Weather Drones](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/matrice-30.md) - [Biomimicry Bird-Like Drones](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bionic-bird-xfly.md) - [Crow-Shaped Drones](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hooded-crow.md)