Scientists have pulled inspiration from insects in order to create a tiny, resilient robot. Referred to as'DEAnsect', this bug-like robot is made of soft materials, carries five times its weight and moves its artificial muscles 400 times a second. What makes this creation so unique that it is able to withstand multiple hits from a fly swatter, being folded or squashed without being damaged – making this robot design ideal for performing various tasks. DEAnsect was developed by a team from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland working with the Integrated Actuators Laboratory (LAI) and colleagues from the University of Cergy-Pontoise, France. DEAnsect is designed with dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs),which is a type of hair-thin artificial muscle that propels it forward through vibrations. Scientists have pulled inspiration from insects in order to create a tiny, resilient robot.

Scientists have created a new insect-sized robot that's virtually weightless, yet can still withstand the density of a human being. Researchers at the University of California, Berekely, developed the miniature device based on the durability of cockroaches. Measuring just one inch-long and 1.5cm wide, it's lighter than a grain of sand can scurry across the floor at a speed comparable with the real thing. Developers hope the gadgets can assist in future search and rescue missions, where they can access hard-to-reach places. The robot was built using Piezoelectric materials, which expands or contracts in response to electric voltage. To manage this reaction, researchers coated the PVDF in a layer of an elastic polymer, which made the material bend, rather than grow or shrink.

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.

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.

All receive a cash boost of around $125,000 from Nasa to fund research for nine months and can then apply to be selected from Phase II funding. "The NIAC program gives Nasa the opportunity to explore visionary ideas that could transform future Nasa missions by creating radically better or entirely new concepts while engaging America's innovators and entrepreneurs as partners in the journey," said Jim Reuter, acting associate administrator of Nasa's Space Technology Mission Directorate. "The concepts can then be evaluated for potential inclusion into our early stage technology portfolio." Other schemes selected include a steam powered jumping robot named'Sparrow' capable of exploring icy ocean world's such as Saturn's moon Titan, which many experts believe holds the best chance for finding life in the galaxy.

Scientists have designed flying, insect-sized robots that can perch and launch from ceilings. The robots use something called electrostatic adhesion, the same process by which statically-charged balloons stick to walls. The findings, reported in the journal Science, contribute to a decade-long effort of the Harvard Microrobotics Laboratory.

For aerial robots, maintaining a high vantage point for an extended time is crucial in many applications. However, available on-board power and mechanical fatigue constrain their flight time, especially for smaller, battery-powered aircraft. Perching on elevated structures is a biologically inspired approach to overcome these limitations. Previous perching robots have required specific material properties for the landing sites, such as surface asperities for spines, or ferromagnetism. We describe a switchable electroadhesive that enables controlled perching and detachment on nearly any material while requiring approximately three orders of magnitude less power than required to sustain flight. These electroadhesives are designed, characterized, and used to demonstrate a flying robotic insect able to robustly perch on a wide range of materials, including glass, wood, and a natural leaf.