MIT researchers have developed robotic insects that could transform pollination practises in the future. Their new robotic insect technology helps agriculture through automated pollination in enclosed multilevel warehouses, boosting yields while removing some of agriculture’s harmful impacts on the environment.
MIT’s design uses robot insect technology to reach better performance levels over earlier models. The tiny devices require no more weight than a paperclip yet maintain flight for 1,000 seconds or 17 minutes which demonstrates 100 times more endurance than earlier versions.
Previous robotic insect designs showed poor stability results alongside lack of efficiency. When the MIT team examined bee pollination principles they developed robots with better manoeuvrability and durability. The team made major progress by modifying the wing design which reduced stress forces on the mechanism while generating more powerful lift. Robot updates include four wings instead of eight so they now hold more energy and measurement tools. The lighter frame of these new robots increases their chances of working in natural environments.
“The amount of flight we demonstrated in this paper is probably longer than the entire amount of flight our field has been able to accumulate with these robotic insects. With the improved lifespan and precision of this robot, we are getting closer to some very exciting applications, like assisted pollination,”
explained Kevin Chen, an associate professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), head of the Soft and Micro Robotics Laboratory within the Research Laboratory of Electronics (RLE), and the senior author of an open-access paper on the new design. The tiny bots even demonstrated the ability to trace complex flight paths, including spelling out “M-I-T” mid-air.
Kevin Chen is aided by his co-authors on the paper such as Suhan Kim and Yi-Hsuan Hsiao, who are EECS graduate students; as well as EECS graduate student Zhijian Ren and summer visiting student Jiashu Huang. The research appears today in Science Robotics .
At the heart of the robots are artificial muscles; soft actuators crafted from elastomer layers and carbon nanotube electrodes. These muscles power the high-frequency wing flapping needed for sustained flight. A new transmission system minimises strain on these components, enhancing durability and efficiency.
“But there is no insect that has eight wings. In our old design, the performance of each individual unit was always better than the assembled robot,” Chen stated.
Performance drop in the previous versions, was partially caused by the arrangement of the wings, which would blow air into each other when flapping, reducing the lift forces they could generate.
The researchers also developed innovative long wing hinges, fabricated through precision laser-cutting techniques. This detail addresses torsional stress during flight, a key factor in extending the robots’ operational lifespan.
The team envisions numerous applications for these robotic insects, with assisted pollination as a primary focus.
“This platform paves the way for incorporating onboard sensors and computing capabilities, which will be essential for autonomous operation outside the lab,” Chen said.
The researchers next aim is to extend flight durations to over 10,000 seconds while improving landing precision. Achieving these milestones would allow the robots to interact directly with flowers, a crucial step for mechanical pollination.
This work, supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation.While challenges remain, the progress made by the MIT team highlights the potential of robotic systems to aid natural pollinators in addressing global food production challenges.
