Flapper Nimble+ - ROBOTS: Your Guide to the World of Robotics

Flapper Nimble+ is a bioinspired flapping-wing drone that is safe around humans. It can take off and land vertically, hover, and fly in any direction. It is used as an entertainment robot in drone shows, and also as a research platform.
At hover, the robot's wings flap back and forth more than 10 times every second.
Flapper Drones grew out of more than a decade of academic work on flapping-wing aircraft at Delft University of Technology and Université Libre de Bruxelles. Now based in the Czech Republic, the company positions itself as a university spin-off focused on developing bioinspired flying robots that mimic the flight of birds and insects.
It was founded by mechanical engineer Matěj Karásek and aerospace engineer Rick Ruijsink. While its early work centered on entertainment applications such as drone shows, the company's platforms have also gained traction in research settings, where they are used to study aerodynamics, control systems, and autonomous flight.
Its flagship platform, the Flapper Nimble+, is built around a different set of engineering tradeoffs than conventional drones. Instead of propellers, it relies on four flapping wings to generate both lift and control, allowing it to hover, maneuver in tight indoor spaces, and transition quickly between flight modes. The system supports autonomous operation via external positioning systems and open-source control software, while remaining flexible enough to carry sensors or participate in coordinated swarm behaviors.
What distinguishes the Nimble+ is the combination of biomimetic flight, relative quietness, and tolerance to minor collisions. These characteristics make it useful not only for controlled lab experiments but also for applications in human-shared environments where standard quadrotors can be impractical.
Capable of agile aerial maneuvers with inherent collision tolerance thanks to flapping-wings. Payload capability of 30 grams for add-on sensors. Fully autonomous operation in indoor environments with motion tracking systems.
flapper-drones.eu/nimbleplus
Inertial measurement unit (IMU), pressure sensor. Additional 30-gram payload can include cameras and positioning systems for autonomous flight.
2 brushless DC motors, 2 precision rotary servo actuators
Carbon fiber composites, 3D printed and injection-molded plastic, foam membrane
Crazyflie Bolt flight controller
Open source Crazyflie software, C firmware, Python libraries for remote operation, community support for ROS, PC client, and Android/iOS app.
Up to 15 minutes of flight time with a 7 Wh lithium polymer battery pack, or 8 minutes of hovering with standard 2.3 Wh lithium polymer battery pack.