Biomimetic Robot Transitions Between Water, Land, and Air
lukas_m_ziegler · x · 2026-07-11
EPFL and MIT developed a flapping-wing robot that swims like a diving bird, breaches the water, and flies away.
Key Features
- Weighs less than 300 grams
- Interchangeable wings of varying sizes
- Steerable tail for attitude control
Design Concept
- Mimics the cross-medium movement of diving birds
- Uses hydrophobic nanoparticles to prevent wings from getting wet
- A motor-driven crank mechanism flaps the wings at a preset frequency
- Tail motor adjusts the pitch angle
Performance
- Swimming speed approaches 1 m/s at 5 Hz
- Flight speed reaches 6 m/s at a similar frequency
- Performance closely matches real diving birds
- Water-to-air transition requires a 70° pitch to prevent wingtips from dragging in the water
The author emphasizes that this biomimetic robot is "always cool" and includes a link to the full article.
Related event: MIT and EPFL Unveil Puffin-Inspired Robot That Can Fly and Swim(4 posts)→
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