Bug-size robots that fly and flip could pollinate futuristic farms’ crops
1 min read
Summary
A team at MIT has developed a flying robot that weighs just under a paperclip and can fly for nearly 17 minutes.
The miniature robot, the design of which was inspired by bees, is made up of four separate units, each with a single flapping wing.
This design means it can fly at 35cm per second and perform complex in-flight acrobatics, such as rolls and flips.
It is also capable of highly precise flight, meaning it could potentially land on and take off from the centre of a flower, something the designers are now working on.
Potential applications for the robot include pollinating crops in places such as warehouses, or for use in the delivery industry for extremely small packages.