April 21, 2025
This Tiny Robot Is Part Bee, Part Crane Fly - and It Finally Has Solid Legs
"The successful landing of any flying vehicle relies on minimizing the velocity as it approaches the surface before impact and dissipating energy quickly after the impact," explained Nak-seung Patrick Hyun, a former Harvard postdoctoral fellow and now an assistant professor at Purdue University's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. "Even with the tiny wing flaps of RoboBee, the ground effect is non-negligible when flying close to the surface, and things can get worse after the impact as it bounces and tumbles." Hyun led the RoboBee's landing tests on both solid surfaces and a leaf, just like a real insect.