The robotic fly - The Mundo.es

annoying housefly is one of the most elusive creatures of nature. There is more to see his ability to avoid the swatter or shake the tails of the horses when they try to keep them away. His agility has not gone unnoticed by a team of researchers from Harvard University (USA), which has been proposed play your flight maneuvers in the laboratory .

These researchers have designed tiny robots (the size of a fly and weighing about 80 milligrams) order to study the dynamics of flight of these insects , as explained in an investigation recently published by the journal Science.

flies are able to perform maneuvers that allow them to avoid the swatter both fast and agile, as delicately perching on flowers, even when they are carried by the wind. Small robots designed at Harvard are fabricated with carbon fiber and fitted with a system that mimics the flapping of the fly . They can remain motionless in the air stably flight maneuvers and controlled manner.

Miniature Batteries

The researchers, led by scientist Kevin Ma, say their robotic fly help develop new technologies to design batteries and miniature sensors . Also envision other applications to take advantage of their small size, such as help rescue teams scouring rescue missions in areas that might be victims or monitored areas. However, their main goal is to better understand the dynamics of insect flight rather your little robot has practical uses.

Each robot has a small battery attached via a cable during a flight consumes about 19 milliwatts of electricity. Energy expenditure equivalent to that of a fly, the authors of this study, we argue that this is the first robot designed with these features . Therefore, a smaller robot has required new propulsion and manufacture.

used build composite microstructures and piezoelectric materials (ie, those who are able to generate electrical charge when mechanical pressure is applied inside and out, make an electric charge in mechanical stress) . Thus, scientists were able to imitate the movement of a fly tiny muscles that allow their wings move so fast on and off very quickly the voltage. That is, the material shrinks and returns to his natural position continuously for the duration of the flight, like a muscle.