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.