At the Institute for Microtechnology in Mainz, Germany, the tiniest helicopter ever has taken flight. Using micromotors to spin the rotors at more than 100,000 revolutions per minute, the 1-inch-long chopper climbed to a peak altitude of 5.3 inches in September. The copter weighs one-hundredth of an ounce and stands one-third of an inch tall. The Guinness Book of Records aside, micromotor creator Heinz Lehr hopes the breakthrough in microtechnology will have broad applications in industry. Potential uses range from fiber optics and miniature endoscopic medical sensors to toy controls.
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Mini Bird
