Microrobot flies as fast as a bumblebee

Research Microrobot Flies as fast as a Bumblebee

2025-12-10 Source: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | Translated by AI 2 min Reading Time

With its insect-like speed and agility, the tiny robot could one day assist in search and rescue missions.

Fast and agile like a bumblebee, a new microrobot developed by engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).(Image: MIT) — Fast and agile like a bumblebee, a new microrobot developed by engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
(Image: MIT)

Fast and agile like a bumblebee, a new microrobot developed by engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) proves to be an ideal tool for searching for missing persons, such as after earthquakes, thanks to its great flexibility in the air. It can even evade falling debris. Speed and acceleration have increased by 450 percent and 250 percent, respectively, compared to the fastest microrobots previously developed by the team.

AI-based control enables acrobatic flight maneuvers

Control is of crucial importance. The MIT engineers developed it based on artificial intelligence (AI). It enables acrobatic flight maneuvers to navigate around obstacles and pass through narrow gaps. Even spectacular, albeit impractical, flips in large numbers within a short time are possible. The Robo-Bee can perform ten somersaults in eleven seconds. Even gusty winds won't throw it off course.

A two-stage, AI-driven control scheme provides the robustness required for complex, fast maneuvers. Additionally, it offers the computational efficiency necessary for real-time operation.(Image: MIT) — A two-stage, AI-driven control scheme provides the robustness required for complex, fast maneuvers. Additionally, it offers the computational efficiency necessary for real-time operation.
(Image: MIT)

"We can deploy these robots in situations where traditional quadcopter robots would struggle to fly. With our bio-inspired control, the robot's flight performance in terms of speed, acceleration, and tilt angle is comparable to that of insects," emphasizes MIT scientist Kevin Chen.

Robo-bumblebee weighs less than a paperclip

The Robo-Bee weighs less than a paperclip. It is powered by artificial muscles that make its wings flutter at extremely high frequencies. Its agility is owed to a so-called model predictive control, which calculates the optimal subsequent movements of the artificial insect based on its current position. For this purpose, the control system is trained and learns through imitation.

The researchers have found an intelligent method to limit the amount of training data to exactly what is necessary. The AI-powered controller receives the respective robot positions as input and outputs control commands in real time to adjust thrust and flight direction to current needs. In the next step, the developers aim to equip their artificial insect with cameras and sensors to make it practically usable.

About the project

This research is partially funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Office of Naval Research, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, MathWorks, and the Zakhartchenko Fellowship. Learn more at: news.mit.edu

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Date: 08.12.2025

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