Tiny Flying Robot Gets Crushed By 11,000 Times Its Weight And Flies Again

Singapore – A tiny flying robot weighing just 185 milligrams is crushed under a load 11,000 times its own weight, survives repeated impacts and takes flight again in tests of a new flexible design.

Developed by Yuan Zhu and colleagues, the all-polymer robot uses two cone-shaped wings connected to a flexible polymer film. An electrostrictive actuator changes shape when an electric field is applied, directly driving the wings without a mechanical transmission.