RoboBee X-Wing takes Solo Flight

10 years have already passed since the development of the bee-type drone "RoboBee" started at Harvard University.

The design is so simple, this worm-shaped drone "RoboBee", its function has evolved dramatically in recent years. As a "new feature", it seems that hovering flying continuously in one place and flight path setting to fly a predefined route have been added recently. Besides, because the main unit is too small to mount the battery, until now, it was necessary to fly with the power cable attached to drive it. However, it succeeded in the first solo flight which was disconnected from the power cable last August.

Image: Harvard Gazette

・ Solar panel supplies 120 milli watts of power

・ Reduction of the speed transmission ratio, construction of actuator improves 38% floating

・ 4 blades increase efficiency by 30%

・ 3 cm from the panel to the blade so that the solar panel does not disturb the blade

・ Improved signal of solar panel at instrument panel

But it's not as great a flight as the world gets up to, but it's just flying from end to end of the lab. Still, it is no different from having flown by oneself. But after only a few seconds, it seems that it has been supported by the safety cable and dropped. To realize this, RoboBee has been making various hardware improvements. Two wings are added, for a total of four wings. This boosts the lift by 38%. It is also equipped with the world's smallest solar panel, weighing only 10 mg.

Video: Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences / YouTube

Even with these upgrades, this "RoboBee X-Wing" weighs only 259 mg. (Incidentally, the weight of a normal paper clip is four times this.) Just like a worm, it's super light. If you load the battery, it's too heavy to fly.

It is a solar panel attached to eliminate the power cord. It seems to generate about 120 milli watts of electricity. This is comparable to the power to light one tiny electric light on a Christmas tree. A single electric power moves the actuator and blades, and this Robo Bee can fly. ... It's only a moment. Robbie X-Wing needs the sun to continue flying. A halogen lamp was used in the experiment.

To date, dogs, cheetahs, and mules have been developed, but research on the bees has continued for quite some time. That means that it is difficult to make a tiny robot with the functionality of a small bee. It will take several years until Robo Bie will be able to fly freely in his lab with his power alone. If you can't read even the movement of the wind, and it blows out unexpectedly, the outer world debut, which can be out of control, seems like it's still ahead. But ... development is progressing little by little.

At that time, if I smashed the sound of flapping reflectively with hands, it would have been Robo Bie ... what time will come. There is a world in which a tiny drone oversees you softly. But if you smash it with a fly, the development cost will be an instant.

Source: Harvard Gazette