Bat-inspired echolocation The low-power aerial robot can navigate cluttered environments and visually challenging conditions. ((Courtesy: Nitin J. Sanket, Worcester Polytechnic Institute)"> Bat-inspired echolocation The low-power aerial robot can navigate cluttered environments and visually challenging conditions. ((Courtesy: Nitin J. Sanket, Worcester Polytechnic Institute) The “bumblebee” bat – a little animal weighing just 2 g – has inspired researchers to make the first palm-sized drone that can efficiently navigate in confined, dark and cluttered environments. The drone, which works using echolocation and operates on a milliwatt of power, could find applications in search and rescue missions in difficult-to-access spaces, say the researchers at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the US who developed it. The bumblebee bat thrives in deep, dark caves and can perceive objects as small as just 0.1 mm thanks to ultrasound-based echolocation.…