Robot developers have longed looked at nature for inspiration. When designing robot mechanisms and movement, animals and human motor functions provide insight on optimal movement that many robotic ...

When Robert Wood came to Harvard University 17 years ago, he wanted to design an insect-sized robot that could fly. You might wonder why anyone would ever need such a thing, but the engineering ...

After 10 years of hard work, an engineering team working in Harvard University's Microrobotics Lab has completed the maiden flight of its tiny RoboBee flying robot. True, the little guy is still ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Nature has perfected the art of landing. From delicate flies to buzzing bees, insects navigate complex aerial maneuvers and ...

Size can matter when it comes to innovative flying machines — but bigger doesn’t necessarily equal better. Few robots illustrate that point better than Harvard University’s new RoboBee X-Wing: A ...

We've seen RoboBees that can fly, stick to walls, and dive into water. Now, get ready for a hybrid RoboBee that can fly, dive into water, swim, propel itself back out of water, and safely land. New ...

Researchers have revealed a nature-inspired RoboBee that can dive into water mid-flight, and launch itself back out for a safe landing. The design uses a ‘Goldilocks combination’ of wing size and ...

Michelle Starr is CNET's science editor, and she hopes to get you as enthralled with the wonders of the universe as she is. When she's not daydreaming about flying through space, she's daydreaming ...

This insect-sized flying robot is smaller than a quarter, 12 times lighter than a paperclip, and zips through the air with a pair of flapping wings. That's not even the impressive part. Using a trick ...

When the insect-sized RoboBee first took flight in 2012, its developers were unable to keep it aloft for more than a few seconds at a time. These days, the tiny drone is so adept at flying that ...

We've seen RoboBees that can fly, stick to walls, and dive into water. Now, get ready for a hybrid RoboBee that can fly, dive into water, swim, propel itself back out of water, and safely land. New ...