MIT develops a small robot that jumps like a bee and dreams of Mars

MIT engineers have made a robot in the size of a paper clip that flies like a bumblebee and pollinate crops on Mars. This little miracle, from Kevin Chen’s Soft and Micro Robotics Lab, flies and hops.

This robot, which weighs less than a gram, folds its wings 400 times per second, just like a real bee. Four soft actuators (artificial muscles) feed its wings, so that it can float through the air, turn around and shoot. But what is special is that it can jump, with a resilient leg to jump 20 cm, four times its height, with 30 cm per second. This hopping mechanism is inspired by the energy -saving jumps of fleas and locusts and uses 60% less power than a flying robot of the same size. It can carry payloads up to ten times its own weight, so that it can transport sensors, circuits and even small cameras.

A leather compression such as it stores energy in a click -patch auction while the robot falls and releases it when it touches the ground and drives it up. The wings generate lift and stability, so that it can land in the optimum angle for the next jump. It can jump on grass, ice, wet glass, uneven soil and even on a moving drone without damaging it, pointing out future cooperation operations.

In contrast to flying robots that use power to stay in the air, robots energy with each jump recycle as a ball back after touching the ground. The spring turns downhill momentum in upward force and the wings coordinate the direction. Yi-Hsuan Hsiao, a PhD student of the project, says that the efficiency of spring can theoretically allow the robot to jump without losing energy for an indefinite period, but in practice the wings compensate for small losses during ground contact. This is crazy: the same robot has been tested countless times without needing repairs, the soft actuators are strong enough to withstand repeated effects.

A bouncing leg is not enough to cross challenging surfaces; Instead, the robot uses a gadget for following movements and a smart control algorithm to stay on course. While it flies through the air, it analyzes its landing position and adjusting its wing flaps for the next jump. This allows jumping over tilting surfaces or transition between materials such as grass and glass that require different quantities. The controller is versatile, so the robot stays in rhythm, regardless of the task.

Practical applications are as cool as they are varied. On Earth, these robots can pollinate washed in inner farms where natural bees struggle with artificial light. On Mars where there are no natural pollinators, they can be used in Mars’ agriculture. The ability to wear large loads for its size makes it perfect for environmental monitoring and search and rescue missions in tight spaces such as collapsed buildings. Its agility, as demonstrated by Acrobatic Flips and Hop on flying drones, means that these robots will work together to perform difficult tasks.
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