MIT and EPFL build 250-gram robot that swims and flies
Technology
Researchers at MIT and EPFL have built a 250-gram robot that can do it all: swim underwater, dive in, and take off into the air just by flapping its wings.
Inspired by real diving birds, this little machine handles the tricky switch between water and air (which is much denser) with ease.
Robot achieves subsecond swim to flight
The robot's bendy wings help save energy underwater and let it flap fast in the air, so it can go from swimming to flying in under a second.
With parts costing around $300 and open-source plans available, this tech could soon help monitor lakes or coastlines without breaking the bank.
The research was published in Science.