Although wing-flapping micro-drones do already exist, the things tend to be quite fragile – and thus not ideally suited to real-world use. An experimental new one, however, utilizes a softer mechanism ...

Flapping-wing ornithopter drones may potentially be more agile and energy-efficient than their fixed-wing counterparts, but most of them still can't loiter in one spot. A new model addresses that ...

Bio-inspired wind sensing using strain sensors on flexible wings could revolutionize robotic flight control strategy. Researchers at Institute of Science Tokyo have developed a method to detect wind ...

A new drive system for flapping wing autonomous robots has been developed, using a new method of electromechanical zipping that does away with the need for conventional motors and gears. A new drive ...

As an emerging frontier in biomimetic intelligent microsystems, insect-scale flapping-wing micro aerial vehicles (FWMAVs) demonstrate significant application potential due to their exceptional ...

Researchers have developed a method that allows a flapping-wing robot to land autonomously on a horizontal perch using a claw-like mechanism. The innovation could significantly expand the scope of ...

Key technical innovation includes the use of insect-like compliant wings to enhance aerodynamics and a low power design. High lift coefficients will be achieved by properly achieving dynamic ...

Engineers have designed a robot with flapping wings, which can perform nimble movements in the air, hovering, darting, diving and recovering like a bird or an insect. Humans have been trying to ...

The study of bio-inspired flapping flight and the dynamics of micro air vehicles (MAVs) has grown into a vibrant interdisciplinary field, merging insights from insect biomechanics, aerodynamics and ...

The flying abilities of one of the world's fastest birds has been used as the inspiration to create a new drone prototype, scientists say. Based on the aerobatic maneuvers of the swift, an ...