Posted on 05/02/2013 7:06:35 PM PDT by Seizethecarp
Scientists in the US have created a robot the size of a fly that is able to perform the agile manoeuvres of the ubiquitous insects.
This "robo-fly", built from carbon fibre, weighs a fraction of a gram and has super-fast electronic "muscles" to power its wings.
Its Harvard University developers say tiny robots like theirs may eventually be used in rescue operations.
The current model of robo-fly is tethered to a small, off-board power source but Dr Ma says the next step will be to miniaturise the other bits of technology that will be needed to create a "fully wireless flying robot".
"It will be a few more years before full integration is possible," he said.
It could, for example, navigate through tiny spaces in collapsed buildings.
It also has the fly-like agility that allows the insects to evade even the swiftest of human efforts to swat them.
This comes largely from very precise wing movements.
By constantly adjusting the effect of lift and thrust acting on its body at an incredibly high speed, the insect's (and the robot's) wings enable it to hover, or to perform sudden evasive manoeuvres.
He added though that there could be many uses for such a diminutive flying vehicle.
"We could envision these robots being used for search-and-rescue operations to search for human survivors under collapsed buildings or [in] other hazardous environments," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
Still a few years out but will be here soon for good or ill depending on who is behind the little swarms.
Time to buy a robot spider.
Got my first bite of the year just an hour ago...
I bet the military is already working equipping them with miniature Hellfire missles.
I never thought that I might live to see this: in Arthur C Clarke’s Childhood’s End, it is asked, which weapon is more powerful: an atomic bomb or a robot insect that would seek out an enemy leader, fly in his ear, and drive him crazy at night? I always thought that this was where the concept of a “force multiplier” came from.
Whatever people might think about his personal life (which he did not flaunt), there is no question that Clarke was an incredible visionary.
Very interesting. Thanks for posting.
search and rescue???
I was thinking more on the lines of “search and destroy” missions... but that’s just me.
something about this bugs me
The second amendment is starting to become obsolete.
Want to see a robotic dragonfly? It was created by Festo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nj1yhz5io20
They’ve also done an air ray,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3-wIICjAhE
an aqua ray,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vT-oidWyXE
an aqua jellyfish,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKMN-dz8n3k
an air jellyfish,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=divLsTtA5vk
a bird,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnR8fDW3Ilo
an aqua penguin,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8tfES8gImc
an air penguin,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPGgl5VH5go
and a fish.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eO9oseiCTdk
They’ve also done an interactive wall.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVz2LIxrdKc
He was indeed!
lol dont flit out ever one knows you fight flyer with flyer
Time to fire up my Hot Wheels M-60 tank. B-P
HAHAH... yea...
It works, except all we need to do now is this small thing that is impossible... like make a battery that is light enough to allow it to fly more than 3 seconds. geez...
Battery? HAH! Something that small could draw power from the static field all around us.
we aren’t talking about simply running an LV board, this thing needs to fly. You have any idea what the energy requirements are per unit of weight?... most especially one that hovers? It’s off the scale, this is impossible with any known technology other than keeping it tethered.
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