How do you make a Robo-Dragonfly Fly?

Posted 6 Sep 2003 at 22:28 UTC by The Swirling Brain

This story from Canada.com says that scientists from the The University of British Columbia have created a buzz with their robo-dragonfly. UBC scientists Joseph Yan and John Madden have teamed up to create a 7 centimeter robo- dragonfly that will someday lift off and fly like a real dragonfly. It doesn't fly yet, but they are currently working to find out which polymers and advanced battery and microtransmitter technologies work to make the best electroactive polymer micro muscles for micro flight. They hope that by May 2004 and before their $35k runs out that they will have at least figured out which materials to use. They are not expecting to have a flying robo-dragonfly by then. They are hoping that figuring out how to make a robo-dragonfly actually fly will be saved for a future funded project.