Stanford's Alarming New "Mosquito" Robot Can Fly, Land Vertically, and Climb Walls

As far as practical applications, SCAMP is designed for outdoor work in places like earthquake zones, where there's no usable flat surface on which a drone could land. It's not uncommon for walls to remain standing amid rubble in disaster areas, and an appropriately equipped SCAMP could perch on one to track seismic activity, for example, or to serve as a link in an emergency communications network. Its climbing capability would also allow it to get to an optimal location, rather than attempting to reposition itself through flying--which can be especially difficult in inclement weather.