Record-breaking tiny robot offloads electronics to fly by magnetism

[Binary_Bark]

Scientists have created what they say is the world's smallest untethered flying robot, by taking a unique approach to its design. To minimize size and weight, they've moved the bot's power and control systems out of its sub-centimeter-wide body.

Measuring just 9.4 mm in width and tipping the scales at 21 mg, the robot is being developed by Prof. Liwei Lin and colleagues at the University of California, Berkeley.

It mimics the flight capabilities of the bumblebee. Like that insect, it can hover in place, move both vertically and horizontally, and hit small targets. Its descendants could one day perform tasks such as pollinating crops, or exploring spaces too small for ordinary drones to access.

Record-breaking tiny robot offloads electronics to fly by magnetism

Scientists have created what they say is the world's smallest untethered flying robot, by taking a unique approach to its design. To minimize size and weight, they've moved the bot's power and control systems out of its sub-centimeter-wide body.

newatlas.com