A new kind of robot swims the seas and soars the skies
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"So water floods the whole system here," explains Zufferey. "You have to waterproof, individually, every single component." Such an approach allows the robot to be both light enough to fly easily through the air and also neutrally buoyant, meaning it won't float to the surface or sink to the bottom. It just stays put in the water.

The robot has a tail to help it fly. The wings are made from a translucent nylon fabric reinforced with carbon fiber struts. Zufferey holds the body of the robot while its wings flap up and down crisply and quickly. "You can really feel the forces," he says.

The robot flaps five to six times a second to maintain flight. To leave the water and propel itself into the air, however, it must move its wings ten times a second to generate sufficient speed and thrust.

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