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When I first starting looking into military drones, I was amazed to find a segment of miniature ones. Then I looked a little harder and started finding very small ones. These super small spy insects utilized realistic wings, antennas, etc. But they are only a segment of a whole area of research around biomimetic micromechanics. These are robots that are engineered to mimic small animals or insects. Some of these projects have no direct application at the moment. But you can bet that they will in the future. As super lightweight materials come into play with unique power sources, microbots will become a reality. I have to admit that I am a wee bit nervous about the possible applications of such technology.
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The first such project, pictured above, is the MFI or the micromechanical flying insect. Researchers at Berkeley are basing their design on the blowfly Calliphora. This species is large enough to enable easier design and implementation. The body is made of a light carbon fiber. And the polyimide wings are driven by a piezoelectric actuators. The MFI is also equipped with controls systems, solar panels, and optical flow sensors. Not bad for such a small little thing. At last check, they had stable flight on a fixed line. Here is a table showing the correlation between the fly and the MFI. Also included is a graphic of the MFI components.
The mesicopter is another interesting design. It doesn’t replicate an insect design, but it does utilize dynamics of small flying objects. The design utilized a lithium ion battery that allowed for 30 minutes of sustainted flight. Other battery types have been tested. And a direct-write battery is being tested by SRI which allows laser produced battery structures that would be used in these type applications. Tests seem promising.
Another interesting study revolves around butterfly wings. Butterfly wings are incredibly complex nanostructures that provide lift and offer beauty. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have managed to reproduce these butterfly nanostructures using an atomic layer deposition process. They used aluminum oxide to reproduce the photonic qualities of the wings. Hence, they aren’t looking for the flight properties, but rather the optical. But who’s to say that this type of fabrication process won’t lead to intricate wing production. Also, those researchers are turning their attention to water striders. They want to find a way to replicate their hydrophobic feet. Maybe they will be walking on water soon!
Photo Sources: MFI Project, Mesicopter Project, Georgia Institute of Technology,
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Excellent post.I have been looking for articles like this where AI is making progress.I ran a few post on AI also.