Harvard Microrobotic Fly

Insects have evolved to become prolific fliers able to perform aerial maneuvers that have surpassed those man made. The Harvard Microrobotics lab has recently demonstrated the first steps towards recreating these evolutionary wonders and applying them to man-made technology.

Witness the first flight of an insect-sized robotic fly.

You might notice in the video that the robotic fly takes off while attached to wires. Currently, there is no on-board power source, but that will change in the future. The next goal is to be able to make the fly more controllable, which will be a challenge.

Robert Wood the designer of the fly, is taking a very biological approach to the project, but as he is a very progressive thinker, he’s not letting it constrain him.