These Wasp-Like Drones Lift Heavy Loads With Their Bellies

You might know wasps for their ability to brainwash cockroaches or inflict one of the most painful stings on Earth--one so powerful that the actual scientific advice to victims is to just lie down and scream until it passes. Lesser-known is the wasp's superlative ability to carry loads that are unexpectedly heavy given the creature's size. Small drones, or "micro air vehicles," are only able to lift the equivalent of their own weight. If we want flying robots that can move massive objects without requiring them to be the size of pterodactyls, engineers will need to come up with new ways of lifting stuff. So drone designers are looking to wasps for help, and developing creative ways to use the environment itself as a secret weapon in robotics.