Inspired by the biology of a fly, with submillimeter-scale anatomy and two wafer-thin wings that flap 120 times per second, this tiny robotic insect that’s half the size of a paperclip represents the cutting edge of micro-manufacturing. The first controlled flight of the insect-sized robot is the culmination of more than a decade’s work, led […]
Researchers are using a new model to explain how spiders “fly” or “parachute” on their webs, a trick that lets them cover incredible distances on a single thread of silk when evading danger or re-colonizing. Improving on existing theory by adding in the effects of turbulence, the new model shows how spiders can sometimes travel […]
It seems to be, that if you want to improve upon human invention, then looking to nature is often your best bet. This tenet has been followed by one Cornell University scientist who thinks that dragonflies could point the way for the aircraft of the future. If human engineers had designed the dragonfly’s method for […]
