Fake Skinned Robot Bats Will Soon Be Creeping Us Out From the Skies Above

Researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign think mimicking nature is the best way to help robots take flight. So with the help of a 3D printer they've created a flying robotic bat complete with a layer of fake silicone skin for the wing's membranes. It somehow manages to make real bats look almost cute in comparison. Weighing in at just 92 grams thanks to a carbon fiber airframe, the Bat Bot--or B2, for short--uses five motors on board to control the flapping and articulation of its wings. It's intelligent, too, with an onboard microprocessor and sensors that allow it navigate a room without the need for an exterior motion capture system keeping it out trouble.