New flapping robot swims and flies like a diving bird

9 hours ago

Engineers at MIT and EPFL designed a flapping-wing aerial-aquatic robot (FAAV) weighing under 300g, inspired by diving birds like loons and puffins.
The robot features a fuselage, flexible wings, and a steerable tail, with interchangeable wings for testing. Experiments identified optimal wing size, flapping frequency, and tail angle for smooth transitions between water and air.
Key findings show the robot can swim at nearly 1 m/s and fly at about 6 m/s with medium-sized wings, mimicking bird mechanics. A 70-degree tail pitch enables water-to-air transitions without needing paddling feet.
The research aims to help scientists understand bird flight adaptations in different mediums and could lead to new aerial-aquatic drones for oceanography, enabling safe data collection and sampling in hazardous areas.

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