While Predator drones prove their mettle in Afghanistan and Pakistan, a new generation of far smaller flying robots is taking shape in various labs. These microfliers may soon take on a variety of military missions and innovative humanitarian ones as well.
At the University of Waterloo in Ontario, microroboticist Behrad Khamesee has developed a flying robot about the size of a pencil eraser. A pair of laser-operated, fingerlike grippers allow the bot to grasp and release small objects. The device operates wirelessly, powered by a magnetic field. Khamesee hopes a version of the robot will someday zip around inside the human body delivering targeted drugs; first he needs to reduce the jitters in the bot’s motion.
Courtesy BAE Systems | NULL
Mechanical engineer Haibo Dong of Wright State University in Ohio is working on a four-winged robot called the Wright Dragonflyer. The design is more difficult to create than a ...
