After being propelled through public consciousness by the US military's actions, the word "drone" now has some rather negative connotations. Even humble quadcopters, which are little more than toys, become something sinister when labeled as drones.But unmanned aerial systems come in all shapes and sizes, and while the military may be interested in larger, faster, and deadlier, there's also fascinating work being done in making them smaller and friendlier. Take the above example: the DelFly Explorer is an autonomous, flapping "micro air vehicle" that weighs just 20 grams. It's tiny, diaphanous, and kinda cute.It's the product of the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, and it's designed to be as unobtrusive as possible. As co-creator Dr. G.C.H.E. de Croon says in the video, "We think of the three 'F's: fun, functional, friendly." The little bot is fully autonomous, which means it can explore a space on its own, all which recording video and generally fluttering about.Its flapping method of locomotion is particularly interesting. Current light UAVs tend to be powered by helicopter-like blades, which are proven and straightforward to use, but tough to make really light. Recently, there's been more work into the development of various flapper drones, including some really interesting concepts modeled after jellyfish. The Explorer looks more like a vertical dragonfly, and its supremely lightweight wings seem to help it motor around pretty well. It's only hampered by its battery; while it can take off and land on its own, its tiny battery only gives about nine minutes of flight time.Still, it's a rather interesting concept, and one that paints a much different portrait of the future than, say, an MQ-9 Reaper. If batteries can ever be improved significantly, we might just see a day in which soft, tiny drones float about our spaces, monitoring local conditions. Sure, surveillance is a natural use. But there's also surely benefit in flying around other types of monitors and sensors. Perhaps a mobile thermostat? Or one that monitors air quality in mines? It stands as a reminder that as the drone market expands, perhaps "drone" doesn't always apply.@derektmead