A robotic insect lighter than a paperclip has achieved a remarkable 17-minute flight time, marking a significant advance toward mechanical pollination that could transform indoor farming.
MIT researchers have developed a new design for their miniature flying robot that enables it to stay airborne 100 times longer than previous versions while performing complex aerial maneuvers, according to research published January 15 in Science Robotics.
“The amount of flight we demonstrated in this paper is probably longer than the entire amount of flight our field has been able to accumulate with these robotic insects,” says Kevin Chen, an associate professor at MIT who led the research. “With the improved lifespan and precision of this robot, we are getting closer to some very exciting applications, like assisted pollination.”
The researchers completely redesigned their previous robot, which used eight wings. “But there is no insect that has eight wings. In our old design, the performance of each individual unit was always better than the assembled robot,” Chen explains.
The new version uses just four wings positioned to avoid interfering with each other’s lift. This streamlined design also creates space for the robot to potentially carry small batteries or sensors in the future.
In tests, the robot demonstrated unprecedented agility, reaching speeds of 35 centimeters per second while performing acrobatic maneuvers including body rolls and double flips. It even precisely tracked a flight path spelling out “M-I-T.”
The achievement required overcoming significant engineering challenges. The team developed more durable transmissions connecting the wings to tiny artificial muscles made from specially designed materials. They also created an extremely precise wing hinge about 2 centimeters long but just 200 microns in diameter – a feat that required perfecting a complex laser-cutting process.
While the robot marks a major advance, Chen notes that it still falls short of nature’s capabilities. “The wings of bees are finely controlled by a very sophisticated set of muscles. That level of fine-tuning is something that truly intrigues us, but we have not yet been able to replicate,” he says.
Looking ahead, the team aims to push their design even further, targeting flight times of over 10,000 seconds. They’re also working to enable the robot to land and take off from flowers, while developing ways to add onboard batteries and sensors for autonomous flight outside the lab.
“This new robot platform is a major result from our group and leads to many exciting directions. For example, incorporating sensors, batteries, and computing capabilities on this robot will be a central focus in the next three to five years,” Chen says.
If you found this piece useful, please consider supporting our work with a small, one-time or monthly donation. Your contribution enables us to continue bringing you accurate, thought-provoking science and medical news that you can trust. Independent reporting takes time, effort, and resources, and your support makes it possible for us to keep exploring the stories that matter to you. Together, we can ensure that important discoveries and developments reach the people who need them most.
