May 03

RoboBee The Flying Robot Insect

Posted in: Today's Chili

RoboBee The Flying Robot InsectThe world of robotics has certainly advanced by leaps and bounds over the years, and it seems that the advancements made in this particular category is not going to stop anytime soon. Well, scientists over in the US have managed to come up with a robot that is extremely small – we are talking about one that is roughly the size of a fly, where it is capable of performing the agile manoeuvres of those pesky insects, minus all the bacteria and filth that real flies carry around, of course.

The RoboBee was specially built from carbon fibre, and it tips the scales at a fraction of a gram, boasting super-fast electronic “muscles” to power its wings. Developed by the brains over at Harvard University, it seems that these small robots might eventually function as a tool in search and rescue operations, although I am quite sure that the Defense Department would want to take a closer look at it as well. Who knows? It might eventually be equipped with a payload, sorta like the tiny drones that we saw in GI Joe: Retaliation.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: 3-Finger Robot Hand Picks Up 50-Pound Weight Like A Boss, Robot Bird Fools Real Birds In Flight,

    

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May 03

Harvard University’s robotic insect takes its first controlled flight (video)

Posted in: Today's Chili

Harvard University's robotic insect takes its first controlled flight video

There’s hardly a shortage of animal inspired robots, but few are as tiny as Harvard’s autonomous RoboBee. The robotic insect has been around for a while, but researchers at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering only recently managed a minor breakthrough: controlled flight. Using new manufacturing and design processes, the team has managed to keep the coin-sized bug aloft by independently manipulating the robot’s wings with piezoelectric actuators and a delicate control system.

“This is what I have been trying to do for literally the last 12 years,” explains Professor Robert J Wood, Charles River Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences. “Now that we’ve got this unique platform, there are dozens of tests that we’re starting to do, including more aggressive control maneuvers and landing.” There’s more to be done, however. The tiny machine still requires a tether for power and control, and researchers are still studying nature to suss out how insects cope with flying through wind and the elements. Eventually, the team hopes to outfit the RoboBee with lightweight batteries, an internal control system and a lighter chassis. For now, however, they’re just happy to learned to steer. Check out the insect in action after the break.

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Source: Harvard

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