A solar-powered flying robot has become the lightest machine capable of flying without an attached power source. Weighing just 259 milligrams, the insect-inspired RoboBee X-Wing has four wings that flap at a rate of 170 times per second. It has a wingspan of 3.5 centimetres and is 6.5 cemtimetres high. The flying robot was developed by Noah Jafferis and colleagues at Harvard University. Its wings are controlled by two muscle-like plates that contract when voltage passes through them.

The Pentagon's research arm is looking beyond the human brain to build artificial intelligence. In a recent call for submissions, DARPA revealed that it's looking for ways to take the brains of'very small flying insects' and model their functions in AI robots. The proposal looks to pave the way for robots that are smaller, energy-efficient and easier to train. DARPA is looking beyond the human brain to build artificial intelligence. In a call for proposals, it revealed that it's looking for ways to take insect brains and model their functions in AI robots DARPA is looking for proposals that understand the sensory and nervous systems in miniature insects and can turn them into'prototype computational models.' These models would then be integrated in some type of hardware that emulates how insects think and behave, the agency explained.

Six-legged robot HEXA isn't simply a slightly creepy, over-sized insect that will scare your children. It's a highly adaptable robot open to developers, allowing them to practice programming and coding skills, using simple commands.