New flapping robot swims and flies like a diving bird
New flapping robot swims and flies like a diving bird
Engineers at MIT and EPFL have developed a flapping-wing robot, or FAAV, that can swim underwater and then flap into the air, mimicking the movement of diving birds. The robot, weighing less than 300 grams, can transition between water and air using optimized wing size, flapping frequency, and tail angle. The study, published in Science, could enable new aerial-aquatic drones for oceanographic research and environmental monitoring.
This research introduces a flapping-wing robot inspired by diving birds, capable of transitioning between swimming and flying. The study highlights the biomechanical adaptations of diving birds and how they inform the design of a robot that can operate in both air and water without the need for feet. The findings could lead to new aerial-aquatic drones for oceanographic research.
Evidence and limits
Published automatically after robotics and source-evidence checks; no manual editorial approval is recorded. Source assertions are not independently verified. Missing information remains not reported.
- Environment:
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- Control:
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- Data origin:
- Not reported
| Metric | Value / unit | Basis / context | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| flapping frequency | 5 hours | Basis not reported Source wording: “flapped with a frequency of around 5 herz” | Source E1 |
| flapping frequency | 6 hours | Basis not reported Source wording: “fly through the air at around 6 meters per second” | Source E1 |
| speed | 1 other | Basis not reported Source wording: “swim through water at speeds of almost 1 meter per second” | Source E1 |
| speed | 6 other | Basis not reported Source wording: “fly through the air at around 6 meters per second” | Source E1 |
| flapping frequency | 10 hours | Basis not reported Source wording: “smaller birds flap their wings around 10 times per second when flying through air” | Source E1 |
| flapping frequency | 4 hours | Basis not reported Source wording: “around four times per second when swimming through water” | Source E1 |
- dataset: Not reported
Source excerpts and review record
No manual editorial approval recorded.
Original source quotation: “The robot could fly through the air at around 6 meters per second, when flapping at a similar frequency.”
Source E1
Source：MIT — Robotics · news.mit.edu