The machine is completely autonomous thanks to GPS, motion sensors and computer vision -- it can pick a safe place to land all on its own. The prototype has a relatively long 37-mile range, too, and it can run for an hour on its electric motor. Contrast that with a typical quadcopter drone like DJI's Phantom 4, which lasts for 28 minutes and tops out at 45MPH.

And unlike some drone experiments, TU Delft already has a clear idea of what its vehicle will do. The DelftAcopter would carry medical supplies to and from hard-to-reach places -- you could deliver much-needed medicine to a flood zone. It's not hard to imagine uses in search-and-rescue and recon missions, too. While it'll likely take a while before you see the robotic biplane enter service (it only just got its first major trial run this week), it's easy to see this invention saving lives.