Flying Microrobot Inspired by Bees

Innovation: Academia

Harvard

2019 | Available to License

Image: Endri Killo / Unsplash / CC BY SA - Creative Commons Attribution + ShareAlike

Sense Sound and Other Vibrations From the Environment

For living systems, sensing sound and other vibrations is important for communicating and detecting conditions within their environment. Living systems must locate a signal’s source so that they can move toward it (such as when it is food or a potential mate) or away from it (such as when it is a predator). To prompt an appropriate response, living systems must sense these signals, recognize their amplitude or volume (which is sometimes very low), and determine their direction. Living systems must be attuned to signals relevant to them and able to distinguish these from irrelevant sounds to avoid expending unnecessary energy. For example, owls’ ears are asymmetrically placed. This enables them to detect sounds more accurately, which helps them locate small prey at night and avoid wasting energy chasing down irrelevant sounds.

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Sense Light (Visible Spectrum) From the Environment

Living systems constantly receive signals from their environment that help them survive. Light (in the visible spectrum) can come from other living systems (such as fireflies) or from non-living sources (such as the sun). Survival often depends on sensing and responding to challenges like low light conditions or light that has been altered in some way. Because basic survival is at stake, living systems must excel at meeting those challenges. A well-known phenomenon is how water bends light. A stork trying to catch a fish underwater can compensate for this bending effect so that when it strikes at the fish, it has a good chance of catching it.

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Move in/Through Gases

Living systems must move through gases (which are less dense than liquids and solids) such as those in the earth’s atmosphere. The greatest challenge of moving in gases is that because the living system is heavier than the gas, it must overcome the force of gravity. Moving efficiently in this light medium presents unique challenges and opportunities for living systems. As a result, they have evolved countless solutions to optimize drag and increase lift so that they can stay aloft and take advantage of variable currents. Additionally, they must overcome gravity when moving from a liquid or solid into the air. The fairyfly, the smallest known insect, is a tiny wasp that must move through the air. To the wasp, air feels like a heavy liquid and to move through it, it uses special feathery oars rather than wings.

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Microrobot from Harvard contains smart sensors that help it respond dynamically to its surroundings as it flies through the air.

Benefits

Lightweight
Small
Autonomous

Applications

Surveillance
Environmental monitoring
Agriculture

UN Sustainable Development Goals Addressed

Goal 9: Industry Innovation & Infrastructure
Goal 11: Sustainable Cities & Communities

The Challenge

Robots are made of many components: a physical body, energy storage, a variety of sensors, and more. All these components work together to perform the functions the robot was designed for. Unfortunately, these components are often heavy and bulky. Small robots are unable to carry heavy components without limiting their performance.

Innovation Details

The robots, also called “RoboBees,” are autonomous flying microrobots. One RoboBee measures about half the size of a paper clip and weighs less that one-tenth of a gram. They consist of three main components: the body, the wings, and the “brain.” The body is made of carbon fiber, houses the the sensors, and contains joints that the wings connect to. The wings are wafer-thin and independently controlled by piezoelectric actuators, which move the wings with ceramic that expands and contracts when an electric field is applied. The brain is a series of smart sensors that continuously monitor its environment, enabling the device to avoid obstacles and work closely with other RoboBees.

Biomimicry Story

Bees use their antennae to understand their surroundings. They have receptors on the antennae that are divided into 4 categories: plates, pegs, hairs, and pits. Plates are receptors for chemicals and light, pegs and pits are for smelling, and hairs are for touch. Together, this information enables bees to safely navigate to their destinations.

See Related Strategy

black and yellow bee in close up photo against black background

Biological Strategy

Antennae Detect a Variety of Signals

Western honeybee

The antennae of a bee allows it to sense a variety of signals including chemicals, light, vibrations, and electric fields.

References

Journal article

Untethered flight of an insect-sized flapping-wing microscale aerial vehicle

Nature

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