Northwestern University Drone Spins at 25 Revolutions Per Second to Blur Into Background

Researchers at Northwestern University have built a palm-sized drone that spins at 25 revolutions per second, turning its components into a motion blur that can blend with matching backgrounds. The device, named Phantom Twist, weighs 30 grams. Its single-motor layout was produced through an automated three-stage AI sequence.

An initial model generated millions of candidate designs and retained roughly 20,000 that could theoretically fly. A second model repositioned components in each design to reduce average visibility from all angles. A third model simulated human vision to test the designs against varied backgrounds.

The final configuration spaces parts so none overlap visually during rotation. Emma Alexander of Northwestern University said the motion blur converts mechanical elements into a slight haze that may go unnoticed when background brightness matches. David Whitaker of Cardiff University noted that the rotation speed causes the brain to merge the drone’s parts with the background, rendering it relatively invisible when colors align.

Peter Lee of the University of Portsmouth said the gyroscopic effect limits steep banking and rapid turns, restricting the craft to steady hovers and making it less maneuverable than quadcopters. The researchers stated that the drone remains easily audible. They said transparent components could further lower visibility.

The work will be presented at the Robotics: Science and Systems conference in Sydney, Australia, on 16 July.