Straight outta sci-fi… Straight outta sci-fi… Straight outta sci-fi…
By Columns Staff | Sept. 2018
BZZZZZZZZ…
RoboFly, the first wireless flying robot insect took to the air at the UW last spring. Slightly heavier than a toothpick and powered by a laser beam, this tiny tech insect was designed and built by a team of UW mechanical and electrical engineers.
Future versions may graduate from the laser and use tiny batteries or harvest energy from radio frequency signals. Someday, the team hopes, this little robot can help perform jobs like sniffing out gas leaks and slipping into tight places too small for drones.