Insect-sized bots are breaking their tethers
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Behold RoboFly, a laser-powered robot that weighs in at slightly heavier than a toothpick.
The challenge: Insect-bots require a relatively large amount of power to move their wings fast enough to take off. Batteries are too large and heavy to fly, so previous robots of this size had to be plugged in.
The solution: A laser pointed at a photovoltaic cell provides the RoboFly with electricity. (See a video of RoboFly in action here)
Why it matters: Robots like this could one day assist with tasks like crop surveillance, search and rescue, or gas leak detection. Just don’t mistakenly swat your mini-assistant out of the air.
The challenge: Insect-bots require a relatively large amount of power to move their wings fast enough to take off. Batteries are too large and heavy to fly, so previous robots of this size had to be plugged in.
The solution: A laser pointed at a photovoltaic cell provides the RoboFly with electricity. (See a video of RoboFly in action here)
Why it matters: Robots like this could one day assist with tasks like crop surveillance, search and rescue, or gas leak detection. Just don’t mistakenly swat your mini-assistant out of the air.
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