Northwestern Researchers Build Palm-Sized Drone That Spins to Blur Into Background

Researchers at Northwestern University created a drone called Phantom Twist that spins at 25 revolutions per second, turning its components into a motion blur that can blend with matching backgrounds. NewScientist reported that the device measures small enough to fit in a human palm and weighs 30 grams, with components distributed so none visually overlap during rotation.

The design was selected through an automated three-stage AI process.

An initial model generated millions of concepts that were narrowed to roughly 20,000 theoretically capable of flight. A second AI adjusted component placement to minimize average visibility from all angles, and a third model simulated human sight to score each design against varied backgrounds. Researchers built only the final winning design.

Emma Alexander of Northwestern University said the motion blur turns mechanical components into a slight haze that may be missed if background brightness matches closely. David Whitaker of Cardiff University noted that the rotation speed allows the brain to merge the drone’s parts with the background, making it relatively invisible when colors align.

Peter Lee of the University of Portsmouth said the approach has military applications yet faces limits.

The drone uses a single-motor design with spindly black carbon-fibre rods and can currently hold only a steady hover. It remains easily audible, and added weight, sensors, or larger scale would increase visibility or risk structural failure due to centrifugal forces.

NewScientist reported that researchers plan to present the work at the Robotics: Science and Systems conference in Sydney, Australia on 16 July.