It was unofficially christened by Cornell University as the "Terminator 2" program, inspired by the sci-fi film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. In reality it is a project funded by the Air Force for the future development of a shape-drone drone capable of scanning various contexts.
It will be made of composite material, with metal and silicone parts. A sort of "liquid metal", that's why the reference to the second episode of the saga Terminator.
The goal is to develop a mini drone capable of settling in thanks to its ability to self-adapt: fly, dive in the water and swim. The program was immediately funded by the Pentagon which intends to exploit the know-how of Cornell University researchers to develop the new military mini-drones.
What has been defined as "morphing material", according to the Cornell study group, is obtained by immersing silicone foam in the molten metal. Subsequently, by placing the composite material under vacuum, the metal is sucked into the pores of the foam. These features allow the material to self-regenerate.
The material - the researchers explained to LiveScience - if heated close to another of its own composition, it melts with a slight loss of mechanical strength, increasing its mass.
