MIT researchers have unveiled a breakthrough in robotic insects, achieving record-breaking flight endurance and precision. The newly designed robots, inspired by natural pollinators like bees, hover for over 1,000 seconds — 100 times longer than previous versions — while demonstrating agility that could revolutionize artificial pollination.

Redefining Pollination Technology with Robotic Insects

It’s not the first time we’ve reported on robotic insects, but now researchers envision robotic swarms capable of assisting with pollination in agricultural environments, potentially enabling multilevel indoor farming to increase yields and reduce environmental impact. However, until now, robotic insects lagged behind their biological counterparts in speed, endurance, and maneuverability.

MIT robotic insect next to LEGO block
The robotic insects each weigh less than a paperclip. Source: MIT News

This new design represents a significant leap forward. The lightweight robots, each weighing less than a paperclip, now fly faster, complete acrobatic maneuvers like double flips, and boast an extended lifespan due to enhanced durability in their artificial wing flexures.

“The amount of flight we demonstrated in this paper is probably longer than the entire amount of flight our field has been able to accumulate with these robotic insects,” said Kevin Chen, associate professor and head of the Soft and Micro Robotics Laboratory.

Innovative Design Enhancements

Previous robotic insects used a rectangular configuration with eight wings. However, this arrangement caused inefficiencies due to airflow interference. By halving the number of wings and reorienting them, the team significantly increased lift force and stability.

Additionally, newly developed transmissions minimize mechanical strain on the actuators, improving the robots’ endurance and reducing power loss. These tiny, soft actuators—made of elastomer layers and carbon nanotube electrodes—power the wings by compressing and elongating at high frequencies.

A redesigned hinge mechanism, fabricated with precise laser-cutting technology, further improves wing performance by reducing torsional stress during flight.

Applications and Future Directions

The robots’ enhanced endurance and precision could lead to practical applications in assisted pollination, with the long-term goal of enabling autonomous outdoor operation. Researchers aim to integrate miniature batteries and sensors to allow navigation beyond the lab.

In tests, the robots flew at an average speed of 35 centimeters per second, the fastest recorded for their size. They also performed complex maneuvers, such as spelling “M-I-T” in mid-air:
 

MIT spelled by a robotic insect

“This new platform is a major result from our group, and it opens up many exciting directions,” Chen said. The team plans to further extend flight durations and refine the robots for precision tasks, like landing on flowers for direct pollination.

Funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and a MathWorks Fellowship, this research marks a step toward practical, sustainable robotic pollination solutions.

With robots getting so small that we can barely see them, however, a whole new can of worms opens regarding privacy and surveillance in our new world.

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