Flying insects can perform rapid, sophisticated maneuvers like backflips, sharp banked turns, and in-flight collision recovery. To emulate these in aerial robots weighing less than a gram, known as flying insect robots (FIRs), a fast and responsive control system is essential. To date, these have largely been, at their core, elaborations of proportional-integral-derivative (PID)-type feedback control. Without exception, their gains have been painstakingly tuned by hand. Aggressive maneuvers have further required task-specific tuning. Optimal control has the potential to mitigate these issues, but has to date only been demonstrated using approxiate models and receding horizon controllers (RHC) that are too computationally demanding to be carried out onboard the robot. Here we used a more accurate stroke-averaged model of forces and torques to implement the first demonstration of optimal control on an FIR that is computationally efficient enough to be performed by a microprocessor carried onboard. We took force and torque measurements from a 150 mg FIR, the UW Robofly, using a custom-built sensitive force-torque sensor, and validated them using motion capture data in free flight. We demonstrated stable hovering (RMS error of about 4 cm) and trajectory tracking maneuvers at translational velocities up to 25 cm/s using an optimal linear quadratic regulator (LQR). These results were enabled by a more accurate model and lay the foundation for future work that uses our improved model and optimal controller in conjunction with recent advances in low-power receding horizon control to perform accurate aggressive maneuvers without iterative, task-specific tuning.

Researchers have developed the'RoboFly' to aid in rescue missions, detect gas leaks and pollinate crops. The penny-size robot, inspired by flying insects, can move through the air, on the ground and drift over water surfaces to carry out different tasks. It is fitted with thin hinges of plastic in its carbon fiber body that act as joints and sports balanced control system commands that provides rotational motions of the wings – each wing is controlled independently in real-time. The team believes its creation is far more effective than current models, because the Robofly is able to avoid obstacles with the help of its different modes of locomotion. Researchers have developed the'RoboFly' to aid in rescue missions, detect gas leaks and pollinate crops.

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 the RoboFly had taken its first untethered flaps, earlier this year, marking the first time a wireless flying robotic insect has flown. Now the man behind the project has revealed he hopes to have fully autonomous swarms roaming the skies within five years. 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. 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.

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 the RoboFly had taken its first untethered flaps, earlier this year, marking the first time a wireless flying robotic insect has flown. Now the man behind the project has revealed he hopes to have fully autonomous swarms roaming the skies within five years. 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. 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 bigger than a real fly. A new type of flying robot is so tiny and lightweight -- it weighs about as much as a toothpick -- it can perch on your finger. The little flitter is also capable of untethered flight and is powered by lasers. This is a big leap forward in the design of diminutive airborne bots, which are usually too small to support a power source and must trail a lifeline to a distant battery in order to fly, engineers who built the new robot announced in a statement. Their insect-inspired creation is dubbed RoboFly, and like its animal namesake, it sports a pair of delicate, transparent wings that carry it into the air. But unlike its robot precursors, RoboFly ain't got no strings to hold it down.

Insect-sized flying robots could help with time-consuming tasks like surveying crop growth on large farms or sniffing out gas leaks. These robots soar by fluttering tiny wings because they are too small to use propellers, like those seen on their larger drone cousins. Small size is advantageous: These robots are cheap to make and can easily slip into tight places that are inaccessible to big drones. But current flying robo-insects are still tethered to the ground. The electronics they need to power and control their wings are too heavy for these miniature robots to carry.

But current flying robo-insects are still tethered to the ground. The electronics they need to power and control their wings are too heavy for these miniature robots to carry. Now, engineers at the University of Washington have for the first time cut the cord and added a brain, allowing their RoboFly to take its first independent flaps. This might be one small flap for a robot, but it's one giant leap for robot-kind. The team will present its findings May 23 at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Brisbane, Australia.

Robofly, designed by engineers from the University of Washington, can flap on its own, isn't tethered to any devices and powered by a laser beam. Slightly more substantial than a wooden toothpick, engineers from the University of Washington have created a robot insect that can fly untethered. Dubbed the RoboFly, the engineers gave the robotic flying insect a brain (a microcontroller) and offset the need for heavy electronics traditionally used to power miniature robotics by powering it with a laser beam. Engineers said that the biggest challenge to creating the free-flying robotic insect was to understand how to generate enough power for it to flap its wings. "Wing flapping is a power-hungry process, and both the power source and the controller that directs the wings are too big and bulky to ride aboard a tiny robot," said Sawyer Fuller, assistant professor, UW Department of Mechanical Engineering.

To power RoboFly, the engineers pointed an invisible laser beam (shown here in red laser) at a photovoltaic cell, which is attached above the robot and converts the laser light into electricity.Mark Stone/University of Washington Insect-sized flying robots could help with time-consuming tasks like surveying crop growth on large farms or sniffing out gas leaks. These robots soar by fluttering tiny wings because they are too small to use propellers, like those seen on their larger drone cousins. Small size is advantageous: These robots are cheap to make and can easily slip into tight places that are inaccessible to big drones. But current flying robo-insects are still tethered to the ground. The electronics they need to power and control their wings are too heavy for these miniature robots to carry.

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.