According to CNN, Kevin Chen, principal researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Soft Microrobotics Laboratory, led a team to develop a bee-like robot that replicates the flight skills of a bumblebee, with wings that can vibrate at up to 400 times per second. The robot is compact, weighing less than a paper clip, and relies on the contraction and extension of flexible muscles to achieve flight.
Researchers say this robot could one day be used for artificial pollination, particularly in environments where real bees struggle, such as indoor storage farms equipped with ultraviolet lighting. Doctoral student Yixuan Xiao, who worked on the project, suggests that this robot could be useful for growing crops on Mars without the need for large numbers of natural insects.
The team has also simultaneously developed a more energy-efficient jumping robot, smaller than a human thumb, that consumes 60% less energy than its flying counterpart. Its payload capacity is approximately 10 times that of its flying counterpart, and it has been demonstrated to be capable of carrying objects twice its own weight. However, these robots currently require power via wires, and installing batteries within their bodies remains a challenge.
Kevin Chen estimates that the development of such robots will take 20 to 30 years, but the current achievements already provide critical support for the development of the next generation of microrobots.