This bird-like robot can now fly on its own
RoboFalcon 2.0, a new bird-like robot from China, can now take off and fly slowly all on its own—no launch help needed.
With reconfigurable wings weighing just 800g, it fixes the main issues of the first version by copying how real bird wings move: flapping, sweeping, and folding together.
It can take off and fly slowly
Instead of basic up-and-down wing flaps like older robots, RoboFalcon 2.0 uses a smart flap-sweep-fold motion that gives it better lift and control in the air.
Tests show it can launch itself smoothly and handle low-speed flying without any outside push.
It still needs to work on turning and energy efficiency
There are still some gaps—RoboFalcon 2.0 doesn't have full turning (yaw) control yet and isn't as energy-efficient as real birds.
The team believes future refinements could make future versions even closer to nature's flyers.