This tiny robot is part bee, part crane fly—and it finally has solid legs

RoboBee, with new crane fly-inspired legs, is designed for soft landings.

: Harvard's RoboBee is a tiny robot designed to mimic pollinating insects with recent updates improving its landing capabilities. Robert Wood and his team added legs inspired by crane flies, enhancing landing control. Previously challenged by air vortices, the RoboBee now features an improved controller for deceleration. Future plans include sensor and power autonomy for further practicality.

Harvard University's Microrobotics Laboratory has significantly advanced the capabilities of their signature RoboBee, a small robot that takes inspiration from bees and crane flies. The team, led by Professor Robert Wood, focused on enhancing the robot's landing capabilities by adding four jointed legs modeled after crane flies. This development, described as a 'gentle plop-down' by Christian Chan, a PhD student, tackles the challenge of previous models' instability caused by air vortices when landing.

Earlier versions of the RoboBee faced difficulties with what is known as the 'ground effect,' a phenomenon where the aerodynamic forces are altered when an object is close to a surface, causing the robot to bounce upon landing. Nak-seung Patrick Hyun, now an assistant professor at Purdue University, played a key role in testing the RoboBee's landing on various surfaces, such as solid ground and leaves, highlighting the challenges caused by ground effect given the RoboBee's minute weight of 0.004 ounces and a wingspan of just 1.2 inches.

The research emphasized the fragility of the RoboBee's piezoelectric actuators, equivalent to an insect's muscles, which were prone to fracture during crash landings. The strategically designed crane fly-inspired legs effectively safeguard these actuators by dissipating energy upon impact and minimizing landing velocity. The improved controller on the RoboBee, considered its 'brain,' allows for better deceleration upon approaching the ground, making practical applications seem closer to reality.

Future objectives for the RoboBee involve achieving sensor, power, and control autonomy, described as a 'three-pronged holy grail,' thereby expanding its potential applications. These could include environmental monitoring, artificial pollination, and disaster surveillance, envisioning a future where these robotic insects assist real ones in pollination and delicate operations in areas inaccessible to humans.

The developments bring RoboBee a step closer to operating in real-world environments, reflecting Harvard's dedication to blending robotics with nature-inspired designs. The ability to conduct soft landings marks a pivotal step towards its goal of serving a variety of functions, potentially revolutionizing fields such as agriculture and ecological monitoring in the coming decades.

Sources: Harvard University, Science Robotics, Purdue University

roboticsinnovationResearch