Micro robo flies can save up to 50 percent energy if they fly like helicopters

Micro robo flies can save up to 50 percent energy if they fly like helicopters

blog.taragana.com

WASHINGTON - A new study has shown that micro flying robots that hover like flies can save up to 50 percent energy if they swing an insect wing around like a helicopter blade.
Previously, engineers have long been stymied in their attempts to fabricate micro aerial robots that can match the amazing flight capabilities of nature’s most advanced flying insects - flies.
Such robot flies, if they could be made efficient enough for long missions, could be used for a variety of tasks, from spying, to mine detection to search and rescue missions in collapsed buildings.

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I’m all for saving energy and I love robotics but Why make Robot Flies that behave like a helicopter, when we already know how helicopter blades work? Why do Engineers need to fabricate Micro Aerial robots that can match the amazing flight capabilities of flying insects? Can anyone help emphasize? Do we now have spy flies?

This finding can result in new, more energy efficient micro flying robot designs inspired by both the effective wing shape of insects and the energy efficient spinning motion of helicopter blades

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blog.taragana.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Flies can't hover. Possibly they wish to utilize that ability for a unmanned recon vehicle?

i dunno. crazy tech though

[edit on 8/8/09 by CSquared288]

reply to post by CSquared288


Some flies can hover. I've seen them but forget their names...

reply to post by CSquared288


Yes it's weird. If it doesnt hover and is unmanned, I wonder if it will power itself?

I have a hard time picturing these robot flies buzzy around. You would need a magnet to catch them.

reply to post by YourForever


What doesnt make sense is we know a helicopter can hover and yet they want to copy the blades for these flies.

They already have little unmanned helicopters in the EU Ive seen them used for surveillance of something.

Originally posted by wonderworld


I’m all for saving energy and I love robotics but Why make Robot Flies that behave like a helicopter, when we already know how helicopter blades work? Why do Engineers need to fabricate Micro Aerial robots that can match the amazing flight capabilities of flying insects? Can anyone help emphasize? Do we now have spy flies?

This finding can result in new, more energy efficient micro flying robot designs inspired by both the effective wing shape of insects and the energy efficient spinning motion of helicopter blades

.

blog.taragana.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

A full sized helicopter is too big to get inside doors and windows. I can see a need to get inside buildings with bird sized objects.

But for an object as small as a fly, I suspect that would be for spying, and if we have that technology, it's probably classified since we wouldn't want people using that to spy on us. Though a flying machine as small as a fly would use less energy than a bird sized object and WAY less than a helicopter, which can cost a fortune to operate.

They fly spying theme reminds me of the movie "Fifth Element" where they had a spying insect:
See #3. Spy cockroach from The Fifth Element

Or just use cyborg flies instead:

If there's one thing that could creep you out this morning, it's that cyborg creatures (bugs, rats, birds and sharks) already exist. Researchers have been working heavily into cyborg creatures in order to reduce the cost of developing miniature robots. "The motivation is simple: why labour for years to build robots that imitate the ways animals move when you can just plug into living creatures and hijack systems already optimised by millions of years of evolution?" DARPA has heavily funded research into this kind of field, possibly hoping for a bug which can buzz around a room, spying on inhabitants.

Source: www.futureofgadgets.com...

Keeping the cyborg flies fueled up should be easy, they can live off manure or food scraps right?

reply to post by Arbitrageur


Ick, a spy cockroach, at least they only crawl. I dont like the thought of an idle robo fly sitting on my bedroom window sill. Know what I mean.

Privacy invaders. They could probably program them to do anything with the tiny micro chips in them. Creepy.


Thanks for those links.

[edit on 8-8-2009 by wonderworld]

There are potential positive applications for this technology. Spy-flies could be sent into buildings where hostages are held to assist special forces to plan extraction attempts. Hordes of spy-flies could be released into wilderness areas to search for missing hikers. Spy-fish could be sent into waters to search for plane wreckage. Spy-roaches could be sent into building wreckage to search for earthquake survivors. The possibilities are endless.

[edit on 2009-8-8 by wecomeinpeace]

reply to post by wecomeinpeace


That's a good point if the technology stays in the right hands, for the right purposes. I'd like to know more specifics.

I wonder what would happen when hundreds were set loose in a forest. They would have GPS tech and hope they would find their way back, rather than in my kitchen. I live in the woods.