Artificial Intelligence has come a long way and scientists have paved their way through their unique innovations. Drones are owned by many for different purposes and so do robots that can be spotted anywhere and everywhere in this century.
These robots perform a task such as the delivery of packages, help in search and rescue missions and can be cruel at the same time when it comes to their defense. The scientist is continuously trying to make way for flying robots for the future.
Three researchers at Caltech University, Alireza Ramezani, Soon-Jo Chung, and Seth Hutchinson, have built a flying Bat which is an autonomous robot called Bat Bot (B2). It is inspired by Bats and has got the look and style of organic bat flight.
Their work has been appreciated by many and have also received a publication this week in the science journal Science Robotics.
Most of the time the flying robots are built and structured with rigid wings and propellers to create a lift. Now, the researchers have advanced the structure by recreating a bat’s unique structure and complex wing flap.
They have constructed the 93-gram Bat Bot B2 which is a fully self-contained robot. It comes with an onboard computer and sensors that help it fly and knows its position and the relative positions of its elbows, hips flapping joints. The team instead of using actuators in each joint has a reduced set of wing joints, letting the thin (56 micrometers), silicon membrane that stretches over the wings and dorsal tail in order to help control wing deformity and flight.
The robot is a look-alike of a real Bat despite being almost white and semi-translucent. It can also perform a Bats signature move of nose-diving for prey.
The researchers are satisfied that this robot will be able to fly with soft, flexible wings that can turn mid-air, on a dime. It is also safer for the robot in an environment in which humans and robots must co-exist. It may also provide new opportunities for search and rescue in difficult environments
