Micro-air vehicles (MAVs) have long been a hot topic for roboticists as well as the military. Tiny, controllable or autonomous fliers could provide cheap, robust surveillance for search-and-rescue or reconnaissance applications. But the problem with making small fliers is that power packs, sensors and controls can be heavy. So, researchers have looked to nature for inspiration:

A group at the University of Maryland recently demoed a remote-controlled flier that draws inspiration from how a maple seed falls. (Read my full post on it here.)

So far, the smallest fliers still seem to be Robert Wood’s work over at Harvard. Wood uses a special fabrication process to make flexible, sturdy joints that can be controlled by an electrical current, as explained in this older video.

A larger hovering ‘bot, but one that proved itself capable in navigating a maze, comes out of MIT. The flier uses a laser range finder to quickly scan and calculate its route in real time. This lets it navigate unknown territory on its own. It won the 2009  International Aerial Robotics Competition for autonomously making its way through a maze to find a control panel.

Via Technabob and MIT TechTV