Picture this: the world has collapsed, buildings have turned into rubble. There might still be people trapped inside, but entering the wreckage is dangerous. Who do you send in? A firefighter? A dog? Or… a robot smaller than your thumb, lighter than a paperclip, that can move forward by both hopping and flapping its wings?
At MIT, a group of researchers asked exactly that question and came up with a hybrid insect robot. It doesn’t have a name yet (I’m voting for “Cicibot”), but its potential is huge: despite its tiny size, it can leap over obstacles, hop on ice without slipping, and even land on a hovering drone.
Don’t Let “Tiny” Fool You
The robot is smaller than a LEGO minifigure and lighter than a paperclip. But its capabilities? Massive. Usually, insect-sized robots have only two options: crawl or fly. If it crawls, it will stop in front of the first tall rock, like your Roomba giving up at the edge of a rug. If it flies, it’ll get past obstacles, but its battery will drain almost instantly. Flying is an energy vampire.
MIT’s third option is hop + flap. Think of a click-pen spring. When the robot hits the ground, the spring stores energy, then releases it to launch the robot back into the air. But it doesn’t stop there: four tiny wings flap 400 times per second — bee-level speed! These wings don’t just let it float; they stabilize it, keep it upright, and give it more control for the next jump.
Copying Nature’s Cheat Sheet
The researchers took heavy inspiration from insects. In flea mode, its springy leg lets it jump four times its body height — about 20 centimeters. In bee mode, its wings flap so fast it can hover, flip midair, and stabilize itself. In grasshopper mode, it can move across grass, ice, glass, or soil, hopping along like it’s no big deal. The result: this hybrid robot uses 60% less energy than a similar flying robot and can carry 10 times its weight.
What’s It Good For?
Here’s where imagination kicks in. Post-earthquake rescue: diving into rubble to detect signs of life. Artificial pollination: stepping in where bees can’t — like vertical farms or even greenhouses on Mars. Teamwork: landing on drones to transfer data, creating a tiny “robot army.” This isn’t just a toy robot. It’s a miniature superhero that blends different strategies from nature.
A Small Leap Toward the Future
Right now, it’s still tethered to lab equipment. But researchers want to load it with batteries, sensors, and cameras. Then maybe one day, it could hop out into the real world — and save lives.
A tiny spring, four wings, a pinch of intelligence… and once again, humanity learns from nature: sometimes the biggest progress comes from the smallest jumps.
