When the electrode is energized, it creates a static charge that sticks the robot to a surface.
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When in use the patch needs 1,000 ties less energy than when the RoboBees are flying, with Graule and his team working on ways to work on-board batteries into the plan, shifting away from these tethered prototypes.
Scientists aim to keep them fly for longer time without consumption of much energy.
The technology could find uses in the military and spy services by allowing the tiny robots to fly into a room, settle on a surface and broadcast back conversations.
In a study published Thursday in Science, researchers from Harvard University reveal a robot with perching prowess: the “RoboBee”.
The RoboBee utilizes an electrode patch and a foam mount to absorb shock. The robot takes off and flies normally, but when the electrode patch is switched on, it can stick to nearly any surface, including glass, wood, and even a leaf.
To fulfil this objective, the team used electrostatic adhesion that functions on the same basic science principles which cause a static-charged sock to cling to a trousers leg or a balloon to stick to a wall.
The attraction between opposite charges then causes the balloon to stick to the wall. This works like sticking a balloon to a wall after rubbing it on your hair, but using supplied power rather than triboelectricity. By friction with a wool jersey, a balloon gets negatively charged. “Unfortunately, today’s flying microrobots run out of energy quickly (approximately 10 to 30 minutes)”. But where a balloon loses its grip after a while as the opposite charges dissipate, the researchers were able to devise a system that allows the RoboBee to stick to vertical and overhanging surfaces for as long as it pleases. “In our system, a small amount of energy is constantly supplied to maintain the attraction”, he added.
This perching takes anywhere between 500 and 1,000 times less energy than flying for RoboBee.
‘One of the biggest advantages of this system is that it doesn’t cause destabilizing forces during disengagement, which is crucial for a robot as small and delicate as ours, ‘ said Mr Graule.
Reducing the robot’s power requirements is critical for the researchers, as they work to integrate onboard batteries on untethered RoboBees.
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Because the electrode is only attached to the top of the robotic bee, the flying gizmo can only attach itself to ceilings. Researchers have developed insect-sized flying robots that have the ability to perch on objects using static electricity in order to conserve energy and extend flight times. The team hopes to design more versatile placements for the patch in the future. The research was funded by the National Science Foundation, the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, and the Swiss Study Foundation.
