Engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) together with their colleagues from the Federal Polytechnic Institute of Lausanne (EPFL) have developed an innovative bioinspired robot based on the kinematics of diving seabirds. Unlike standard amphibious drones, the high-tech device has the unique ability to float, dive into water bodies and take off directly from the water surface without auxiliary propellers, fins or additional propulsion mechanisms.
With a total weight of a modest 250 grams, the prototype relies entirely on a pair of flexible wings to achieve thrust both in the air and underwater. Overcoming the boundary between the two environments is a serious engineering challenge due to the huge difference in fluid density. To take off from the water surface, the robot makes a lightning-fast transition in less than a second, generating between eight and ten wing flaps. The optimal stiffness of the wing membranes, the shortened tail geometry and maintaining a specific elevation angle of about 70 degrees are the key parameters that guarantee successful detachment from the water surface.
The team of developers sees serious potential in the technology for future environmental and scientific missions. Such aircraft could independently and unobtrusively explore freshwater lakes, coastal areas and vulnerable marine ecosystems, taking samples and conducting measurements without disturbing the local fauna.
An additional advantage of the development is its financial accessibility - the production costs for assembling one such prototype amount to approximately $300. In view of the rapid development of the project, the research team has already made the 3D CAD models of the device open access to the entire global scientific community. See more in the video.