World's smallest airborne robot off to a flying start
The tiny machine, named RoboBee, took off, hovered and performed basic manoeuvres, to the delight of scientists at Harvard University. Inspired by the common fly, the carbon-fibre robot has a wingspan of three centimetres and weighs less than a 10th of a gram.
The smallest flying robot in the world has completed its maiden flight in a US laboratory.
The tiny machine, named RoboBee, took off, hovered and performed basic manoeuvres, to the delight of scientists at Harvard University.
Inspired by the common fly, the carbon-fibre robot has a wingspan of three centimetres and weighs less than a 10th of a gram.
Flies are among the most agile flying creatures. The robot mimics their airborne abilities by tweaking the movement of two wafer-thin wings that flap at 120 times a second.
More advanced versions of the robot may help with search and rescue missions, monitor the environment, and even assist with crop pollination, its developers claim.
"I want to create something the world has never seen before," said Kevin Ma, a researcher on the team.