Posted on 09/13/2018 4:20:50 PM PDT by BenLurkin
As in flying insects, the robot's flapping wings, beating 17 times per second, not only generate the lift force needed to stay airborne but also control the flight via minor adjustments in the wing motion.
Inspired by fruit flies, the robot's control mechanisms have proved to be highly effective, allowing it not only to hover on the spot and fly in any direction but also be very agile.
Apart from being a novel, autonomous micro-drone, the robot's flight performances, combined with its programmability also make it well suited for research into insect flight. To this end, TU Delft has collaborated with Wageningen University. 'When I first saw the robot flying, I was amazed at how closely its flight resembled that of insects, especially when manoeuvring. I immediately thought we could actually employ it to research insect flight control and dynamics', says Prof. Florian Muijres from the Experimental Zoology group of Wageningen University & Research. Due to Prof. Muijres' previous work on fruit flies, the team decided to program the robot to mimic the hypothesized control actions of these insects during high-agility escape manoeuvres, such as those used when we try to swat them.
The manoeuvres performed by the robot closely resembled those observed in fruit flies. The robot was even able to demonstrate how fruit flies control the turn angle to maximize their escape performance. 'In contrast to animal experiments, we were in full control of what was happening in the robot's "brain." This allowed us to identify and describe a new passive aerodynamic mechanism that assists the flies, but possibly also other flying animals, in steering their direction throughout these rapid banked turns', adds Karásek.
(Excerpt) Read more at sciencedaily.com ...
I see a swarm of these things with cyanide stingers in a future military OP.
Get them small enough with a needle and some strong poison and you have the next generation of assignation tools. I could be wrong, but that is my prediction. (they may already have them)
Oh heck, I wondered what those things were.
Escatology alert!
When I saw those things coming out of my butt
I knew it was the end of the world.
How do you defend against this?
Large can of Raid and a lighter.
Suits of armor?
People will swat at robot insects the way they would at the real thing.. But a hummingbird robot.. that would mesmerize them.
Maybe heavy mosquito netting, so long as the robots don’t release toxic/infectious aerosol.
How much C-4 can one of these carry.
Go to slap a fly and KaBOOM.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLkcV-D8hi0
“...employ it to research insect flight control and dynamics...”
Does nobody read even the little excerpts anymore!? Insect research, that’s all it is!
Right next door to the guys that are developing motorized exoskeletons for humans so that retired folks can get up and down the stairs without that seat thing-a-ma-jig added onto the wall.
An electronic fly swatter! Perfect for swatting electronic flies.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.