MIT built a 300-gram robot that can fly through the sky, dive underwater and take off again, like a loon |
Nature has given us amphibians in all their forms, from frogs to other multi-environmental creatures, but few transcend the Earth’s diverse realms like the diving birds that inspired humans. and and researchers at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. Scientists have long dreamed of a machine that could fly like a bird through the clouds, swim into the depths of the ocean, and then seamlessly return to the sky. Diving birds like the Atlantic puffin can effortlessly glide between air and ocean, even though the two environments have different physical properties. The current engineering team comes from MIT and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) The result was the creation of a lightweight winged robot with this biological ability, showing that the same wings can travel between two worlds. This breakthrough is a major step forward in our exploration and monitoring of the vast and mysterious ocean.
What makes this MIT robot so special
To understand the significance of this achievement, we need to first look at the science. The density of water is approximately 1000 times that of air. Often, wings designed to lift robots into the air are too fragile or inefficient to overcome the massive drag of water. Most previous attempts at “amphibious” drones have involved two different propeller and wing systems working together, making them bulky and complex.The MIT-led team, headed by Raphael Zufferey, took a different approach to observing the puffins. Their invention, called an Ornithopter Aerial Vehicle (FAAV), weighs less than 300 grams, about the same size as a large apple. It doesn’t use propellers or extra engines; instead, it relies entirely on a pair of wings to fly and swim. By studying nearly 100 species of diving birds, researchers have built a machine that can smoothly handle the transition between air and water.
How this amphibious robot handles air and water at the same time
The secret lies in the flexibility of the wings. Rather than using mechanical joints to fold its wings underwater like a real bird, the robot uses “flexible membrane wings” reinforced with carbon fiber struts. These wings are strong enough to lift the robot for flight when it’s in the air. However, the moment it falls into the water, the wings passively bend up to 90 degrees. This quick switching reduces the wing surface area and reduces the load on the motor, allowing it to paddle through the water without breaking.Another smart design choice is the “open frame.” Instead of trying to build a heavy, airtight enclosure to protect the electronics, the engineers allowed water to flood the entire system. Each individual component such as the motor, battery and sensor is individually waterproofed using silicone. This allows the robot to stay exactly where it is in the water without sinking or floating to the surface. This saves a lot of battery power that was previously needed to avoid floating.
Photo credit: John Frieda
Can this robot really take off without a run-up?
One of the most impressive parts of the MIT study is the “water outlet.” If you’ve ever watched a duck or puffin take off from a lake, you’ll have seen them paddling vigorously with their feet to gain enough speed to take off. The researchers initially thought their robot would need something similar.However, they discovered a mechanical shortcut. By programming the robot to tilt upward at a steep 70-degree angle, the wings alone can generate enough thrust to pull it out of the water and into the air in less than a second. To achieve this, the robot must flap about 10 times per second to escape the surface tension of the water. It’s a power-hungry action, but it eliminates the need for heavy robotic legs, keeping the machine lightweight.
What this robot teaches us about our nature
This project is a tool for biological discovery. Scientists have long debated why diving birds reduce wing area underwater. Is it to save energy or to increase speed? By testing different wing sizes and flexibility on the robot, the team found that smaller wings don’t actually save energy. Instead, they significantly improve underwater speed and navigation. This suggests that when a puffin folds its wings, it’s not trying to be more efficient, but rather trying to run faster. The robot also confirmed that larger diving birds may have to use their feet to take off because of the energy required to take off using just their wings. Only the smallest, lightest birds like kingfishers are able to skip foot-based takeoff, which is exactly what researchers have observed in bird-scale robots.
What this means for the future of ocean research
The potential applications of FAAV are vast. Traditional ocean research typically requires large, expensive vessels or slow-moving underwater robots. Zufferey’s vision is to provide a cheaper, faster alternative. Imagine a swarm of these “aerial aquatic robots” flying at six meters per second to a specific area of interest, such as a remote coral reef or a pod of whales. They can dive into the water, take water samples or temperature readings, and then fly back to base to relay the data. The current prototype can fly about four miles or swim a little more than a mile on a single charge. Best of all, the researchers have made their design open source. For around £230 ($300) of materials and a 3D printer, coastal communities and marine biologists can build their own fleets of aerial aquatic robots.By replicating the amazing abilities of diving birds, we have finally created technology that can navigate the Earth as smoothly as animals, ushering in a new era of oceanography faster, cheaper and more detailed than ever before.
