The Bat Bot B2 was developed at Caltech to mimic the natural flight kinetics of bats using ultra-thin silicone stretched over jointed wings. The robot weighs just 93 grams with a wingspan of approximately one foot, and it can change its wing shape in flight due to the light flexible silicone membrane.
The Bat Bot’s onboard sensors and computer allow it to control its flight autonomously, and its bat-like motion is more energy-efficient than traditional flying robots so it could provide useful information for future designs.
Bats have long captured the imaginations of scientists and engineers with their unrivaled agility, but their complex wing motions pose significant technological challenges for those seeking to recreate their flight in a robot.
via IEEE Spectrum
