Researchers at Washington State University in the United States have developed a robotic bee that can fly stably in all directions. The research results were published in the latest issue of IEEE Journal of Robotics. This bee prototype has four wings made of carbon fiber and polyester film, as well as four lightweight drivers that control the wings, making it the first prototype to be able to fly stably in all directions. Bees have fully achieved the six degree free movement exhibited by typical flying insects. For over 30 years, researchers have been trying to develop artificial flying insects. They may one day be used for artificial pollination, search and rescue in narrow spaces, biological research, or environmental monitoring in harsh environments. However, just allowing micro robots to take off and land requires the development of controllers that operate like insect brains. Researchers initially developed a biplane robotic bee, but its movement was limited. In order to perform pitching or rolling movements, researchers have the front wing flapping in a different way from the rear wing for pitching, and the right wing flapping in a different way from the left wing for rolling, resulting in torque that causes the robot to rotate along its two main horizontal axes. Being able to control complex twisting movements is very important. Without it, the robot would lose control and be unable to focus on a single point. Having all levels of motion is also crucial for avoiding maneuvering or tracking objects. In order to make robots twist in a controllable manner, researchers took inspiration from insects and moved their wings to make them flap in an inclined plane. They also increased the number of times the robot flaps its wings per second, from 100 to 160. The weight of a bee is 95 milligrams, with a wingspan of 33 millimeters, and a specific gravity of about 10 milligrams. Unlike real insects, it can only fly autonomously for about 5 minutes at a time. (New News Agency)