If you've been struggling to get your drone off the ground, then perhaps it's time to switch to a different flying experience－with the MetaFly, a lifelike, remote-controlled biomimetic flying creature that's effectively as light and miniaturized as a big insect.

With a 29 cm wingspan, MetaFly's paper-thin synthetic wings are made from carbon fiber and liquid crystal polymer; the ornithopter weighs less than 10 grams. It has a range of 100 meters and can fly for around eight minutes on a 12-minute charge. In favorable conditions, it can reach 20 kilometers per hour.

The owner of the Marseilles-based startup behind MetaFly, Edwin Van Ruymbeke, previously invented the Bionic Bird in 2014, which has now been rechristened MetaBird. Model birds that can fly aren't new－in fact, they've been used in some form since the 19th century, whether for scaring birds away from airports or as a part of surveillance operations. What distinguishes MetaFly is its greater stealth and precision. You'll have to see what all the buzz is about for yourself...

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