Northwestern researchers unveil Phantom Twist drone

Engineers at Northwestern University have developed a drone that utilizes rapid rotation to achieve low visibility. The prototype, named Phantom Twist, spins its entire body at up to 25 revolutions per second, creating a motion blur effect that makes the aircraft appear as a faint, semi-transparent smudge. Researchers used AI to simulate approximately 20,000 designs to optimize component placement for this effect.

The drone is estimated to be 10 times less visible than a conventional quadcopter.