VIDEO: SPIDERMAV DRONE SHOOTS 'WEBS' LIKE SPIDERMAN!

Drones have been making their way to almost every part of the tech industry, they have conquered hovering, but surely there should be an easier way to stay in place? Researchers from Imperial College London have a possible answer: The SpiderMAV, a UAV that shoots ropes that magnetically clings to surfaces to anchor itself in place. 

Imperial College London's Aerial Robotics lab presented the SpiderMAV at IROS conference in Vancouver last week. The UAV concept is a DJI Matrice 100 drone modified with two anchor-firing systems: A "perching" emitter on top that uses compressed gas to shoot magnet-threads upward that reel in until taut, spider-style, and a "stabilizing" pod on the bottom that fires three anchors outward to keep the SpiderMAV in place. 

The SpiderMAV is not fully operational yet, once the anchors are deployed, it does not have mechanisms to detach them. The drone concept illustrates supplemental mechanisms that could indeed help future drones perch in place to save power or stabilize for perfect quality camera shots. 

But given the pace of drone tech – which is struggling to implement 'follow me' features – it might still be a while before we get to see commercial UAVs do more than hover and fly.