Meet the Robofly: Wireless insect powered by lasers takes flight for the first time

Though insect-sized flying robots have been around for a while, none had been able to take untethered fight until now. Engineers at the University of Washington have revealed that the RoboFly has taken its first untethered flaps, marking the first time a wireless flying robotic insect has flown. Previously, the electronics the insects carried to power and control their wings were too heavy for the robots to fly with, meaning they had to remain connected to a wire. RoboFly is only slightly heavier than a toothpick and is powered by an onboard circuit that converts the laser energy into enough electricity to operate its wings. 'Before now, the concept of wireless insect-sized flying robots was science fiction.