Nature has continued to inspire the advances of modern technology. Scientists have been developing drones that fly like a bird or a beast for search and rescue work.
For example, mosquitoes are known to move well. Scientists are trying to create an insect-sized drone with this kind of flexibility that can be used in life and death situations, like finding a trapped person inside a collapsed building.
Kevin Chen, assistant professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and lead author of the study, said he spent a lot of time looking at flapping-wing physics that could be applied to drones. That’s how he and his team were able to create a new beast-sized drone.
“The weight of this robot and body size looks a lot like a dragonfly,” he says.
(Image: YouTube)
Insect-like robots Screenshot from YouTube / Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
MIT scientists created a tiny drone from insects
According to NPR, the tiny drone created by scientists from MIT weighs 0.6 grams (0.02 ounces), just about the same as a piece of paper. However, it is as durable as dragonflies.
To fly the tiny drone, the researchers have developed a soft, muscular device called an actuator that powers its wings. The news service said the wing of the tiny drone could fly nearly 500 times per second.
Unlike the small robots previously built, tight actuators were made of ceramic materials. Chen pointed out that the drones of previous drones would have a hard time dealing with crashes when they crashed and landed or crashed into a roof or ran into a wall .
However, the latest design of actuators made of thin rubber cylinders coated in carbon nanotubes emits an electrostatic force that compresses and filters out the actuators causing their wings to fade. hitting fast and resisting hitting.
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Potential applications for the tiny drone
An MIT press release said, with the insect-like strength of the tiny drone, Chen said he could be hit while flying and get over it. Like dragonflies, the drone can perform somersaults in the air to correct itself. Chen is working on a new prototype that would make the drone look like a dragonfly.
Farrell Helbling associate professor of electrical and computer engineering from Cornell University said, performing a flight with an insect-sized robot is always a daunting task. This is especially so because the sexual compliance of the soft actuators makes it perfect for use in any number of applications in the world, Tech Crunch said.
The tiny drones could be used in industry and agriculture as well as search and rescue missions. He was able to control complex devices to ensure safety and capability. It could also help with artificial pollination of crops.
Helbing said making the tiny drone from a wired power source is the next crucial step in its development. Currently, the actuators need a power source to power the robot.
According to the news release, the construction of drones or robot-like robots can provide an insight into how insects fly, which has been an area of interest for many scientists. The recent work of MIT researchers answers these questions through some background engineering.
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