The MIT team has developed propellers that make any drone silent

MIT Lincoln Laboratory has developed several new devices

for aircraft and drones that provide impressive gains in efficiency and operate much quieter.

"The toroidal screw allows a smalla multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle or drone is quieter than modern drones, in which the shape of the propeller has not changed since the advent of aviation, ”the laboratory said in an official statement.

As the developers explain, silentdrones "will be better accepted by society and companies for a wide range of applications." For example, they will be useful for the delivery of goods by air, cinematography, industrial or infrastructure inspections and agricultural monitoring.

Ultra quiet toroidal propellers, printedon an MIT 3D printer has already been installed on a commercial drone for testing. MIT Lincoln Laboratory

Silent toroidal propeller consists of twoblades connected together so that the tip of one blade is bent inside the other. This closed shape design reduces and controls the drag effects of swirling air channels (i.e. vortices) created at the ends of the blades and increases the overall stiffness of the propeller. Thus, the acoustic signature of the propeller is significantly reduced without affecting its characteristics.

Ultra-quiet toroidal propellers, 3D printed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, have already been installed on a commercial drone for testing.

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Cover photo: MIT Lincoln Laboratory