MAV

MAV stands for micro air vehicle or micro aerial vehicle, a class of small unmanned aircraft designed to fly autonomously or with limited remote control. MAVs are typically compact and lightweight, with wingspans ranging from a few tens of centimeters to about a meter, and masses from tens to a few hundred grams. They are built for short flight times and high maneuverability, making them suitable for research, education, environmental monitoring, reconnaissance, and other applications where larger aircraft would be impractical.

Designs vary: fixed-wing MAVs rely on wings and forward motion to generate lift, while flapping-wing MAVs imitate insect flight for agility in cluttered environments. Multirotor configurations are common as well, offering stable hover and precise positioning. Core technology includes lightweight propulsion, integrated sensors (such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers), microprocessors, and often computer vision or GPS for navigation and autonomy.

Development and research: MAVs have been a major field of robotics and aerospace research since the late 20th and early 21st centuries, driven by advances in microfabrication, battery capacity, and control algorithms. Researchers explore autonomy, vision-based navigation, robust state estimation, and energy efficiency to extend flight time and reliability.

Applications and considerations: the small size enables use in urban and indoor environments as well as field testing. Applications include academic experiments, environmental sampling, disaster response, search-and-rescue, and military or security contexts. Legal and safety frameworks regulate operations, and operators must observe aviation regulations, privacy laws, and safety guidelines.

See also: unmanned aerial vehicle, drone, flapping-wing robot.