Tiniest Flying Robot (Wingspan <1cm) Soars Thanks to Magnets
10 comments
·March 30, 2025tromp
The motivation for untethered flight
> One strategy to shrink flying robots involves removing their batteries and supplying them electricity using tethers. However, tethered flying robots face problems operating freely in complex environments.
seems a little out of reach of the projected capabilities:
> Currently the maximum operating range of these prototypes is about 10 centimeters away from the magnetic coils. One way to extend the operating range of these robots is to increase the magnetic field strength they experience tenfold by adding more coils, optimizing the configuration of these coils, and using beamforming coils, Lin notes. Such developments could allow the robots to fly up to a meter away from the magnetic coils.
gene-h
I would not consider this a 'robot' because power and control is not on board. It's more of a puppet than a robot. At the very least, the magnets should be included in the size of the robot.
bookofjoe
>Untethered subcentimeter flying robots
the__alchemist
> which could lead to potential applications such as search and rescue operations
sir_eliah
I came here to post exactly this! Maybe I have very limited imagination, but I cannot fathom how tiny propeller without internal power source could be any use for the search and rescue operations.
Etheryte
By this definition, a bullet shot out of a gun is also a tiny flying robot.
G_o_D
Just place magnetic strips coil inside outer ring and wings connected through inner ridge with tinient ball bearings that allows inner wing fan to move and copper coils inside fan design and they will start deflecting spinning and it will lift up
lawlessone
surely you would include whatever is supplying the magnetic field as part of the robot?
Behold my milkweed seed robot (<0.5 cm). It is untethered and powered by an external air current control system (several fans). Using the control system I can direct it anywhere within a 1m cube!