A new kind of robot swims the seas and soars the skies
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DANIEL: The wings are made from a translucent nylon fabric reinforced with carbon fiber struts. The wingspans not quite 3 feet tip to tip. It's got a tail to help it fly, and the whole package weighs about half a pound.

(SOUNDBITE OF MECHANICAL WINGS FLAPPING)

ZUFFEREY: Three.

(SOUNDBITE OF MECHANICAL WINGS FLAPPING)

ZUFFEREY: Four.

DANIEL: On a slightly different model, Zufferey shows me how crisply and quickly the wings can flap.

You really got to hold on to that.

ZUFFEREY: Yeah. You know, you can really feel the forces.

DANIEL: The robot flaps five to six times a second to maintain flight. But to leave the water and enter the air, it's got to move its wings 10 times a second.

ZUFFEREY: We need to reach the highest speed possible as we approach the water surface. And then we need to lift the robot out, and there it require a huge amount of thrust.

DANIEL: A lot of power.

ZUFFEREY: A lot of power.

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