Flying microrobot takes steps toward full autonomy (w/ video)

[Bosonic]

(PhysOrg.com) -- With the goal of designing an insect-inspired flying microrobot capable of sustained autonomous flight, researchers have demonstrated for the first time a microrobot that achieves vertical flight using closed-loop control. The researchers predict that the approach they use for controlling flight on this one axis could also be used for controlling flight on all three axes.

The team of researchers, Dr. Néstor Pérez-Arancibia, Kevin Ma, Dr. Kevin Galloway, Jack Greenberg, and Prof. Robert Wood from the Harvard Microrobotics Lab at Harvard University, has published their study on the first controlled vertical flight of a biologically inspired microrobot in a recent issue of Bioinspiration & Biomimetics. The methods they used could provide a key step toward developing completely autonomous flying microrobots.

“Basically, a fully autonomous flying microrobot would do similar things to what natural bees and flies can do: take off, land, and navigate through difficult environments,” Pérez-Arancibia told PhysOrg.com. “In the long term, I can also envision microrobots that can adapt to their environments, coordinate with other robots to accomplish difficult tasks, and interact with natural insects (this would be very cool, I think).”

http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-09-microrobot-full-autonomy-video.html

[leveymg]

1. As if the living organisms aren't annoying and dangerous enough -

what is the point of this? Military? I guess the flying bots could be used to selectively spread germ warfare and spy on people.

Lovely.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

2. They might be used to pollenate the stuff that the missing honeybees used to. n/t

[leveymg]

3. I bet the military gets to this first.

Make war not honey.

[tgearfanatic234]

4. that's what i was thinking

[Humanist_Activist]

5. Could also be used for search and rescue and recovery...

and possibly weather monitoring, and quite a few other uses as well.