BAT plane not for flying..then for?????U.S.

The U.S. Army wants a 6-inch spy plane that will gather data on sights, sounds, and smells in urban combat areas.

It has given the University of Michigan's College of Engineering $10 million and five years to help make "the bat" plane happen.

Researchers plan to equip the plane with tiny cameras for stereo vision, directional microphones, and devices that detect nuclear radiation and poisonous gas.

Credit: Eric Maslowski, research computer specialist, University of Michigan 3D Lab