In the modern age of robotics, the ability to emulate the complex functions of insects has been a constant challenge for scientists. At the Nanjing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics (NUAA), a team of researchers has developed an insect robot that cleverly combines flying and climbing capabilities. I'll link the search here.
This innovation, directly inspired by nature, could mark a turning point in the field of bionics and robotics.
(A and B) Description of the robot components.
(C to E) Wing actuation and aerodynamic forces and torques during pitch control (C), roll control (D), and yaw control (E). The red arrows show the thrust and torques after the control is activated. (F to H) Robot design details: (F) the climbing mechanism for controlling wall climbing, (G) the flapping mechanism (of the right wing pair) used for controlling the pair of roll and (H) the rotor adjustment mechanism for yaw torque control. (I) High-speed camera frames capturing the robot during approach (i), landing (ii), climbing (iii), taking off (iv), and moving away from vertical surfaces (v) .
Inspiration from nature
Insects, with their incredible flying abilities and ability to attach themselves to and climb walls made of various materials, have always fascinated scientists. These little creatures are able to go from flying to climbing with a fluidity that seems to defy the laws of physics. And as you can imagine, replicating these abilities in an insect robot was a tall order.
Creating a system that can fly like flapping wings and, at the same time, have the ability to climb walls presents numerous technical challenges. Current flight systems that can hover in the air struggle to generate enough lift to support a climbing robot.
A step forward in robotics
The NUAA team has made an interesting advancement, developing a new attitude control strategy that allows the robot to move fluidly, landing on a vertical wall, climbing along it, and taking off again. Aihong Ji, research leader, underlined the importance of this innovation, stating that the insect robot with cross-domain movement capabilities can overcome the limitations of traditional robots.
The robot successfully demonstrated its ability on a variety of complex vertical walls, such as glass, wood, marble and even tree bark. This series of movements, common in nature, has important implications for understanding insect takeoff and landing.
Insect robot, a promising future
By adopting a “hybrid” structure of wings and rotors, the insect robot can not only fly efficiently and controllably, but can also stick to and climb vertical walls. Ji imagines that microscopic hooks and claws will be added in the future to help the robot adapt to more complex environments.
You are well aware that the focus of Futuro Prossimo is biomimicry: applied to the fusion of robotics and bionics, it continues to offer innovative solutions. This insect robot, with its unique capabilities, is not only a technological triumph, but also a tribute to the wonderful engineering of nature.
