A new kind of robot swims the seas and soars the skies
Page 5/12

Most diving birds can't generate that kind of power with their wings alone, which is why they take off by using their legs to run along the water's surface. (The kingfisher is an exception but it is an especially light bird, says Zufferey.)

"A monumental step"

Zufferey calls up a video that he and his colleagues filmed at Lake Geneva in Switzerland. The Alps rise up in the distance and the water's surface is placid.

There's the slightest of ripples before the robot bursts out of the water and into the air — all in less than a second. It actually sounds like a bird taking flight.

The researchers computed the optimal launch angles and wing size. And they estimate that on a single charge, the robot could fly for not quite four miles or swim for a bit more than a mile, "which is longer than the running and swimming portion of a sprint triathlon," observes Clifton.

Prev
Next
Back to headlines
News menu
Home