Mechanical Insects

The United States Advanced Research Projects Agency is funding a research project at Harvard University to develop robotic insects. They have already achieved the task of making a 60 milligram robotic, with a 3 centimeter wingspan fly.  They are hopeful that one day these machines can acts as spies, surveillance robots for battle fields and urban environments, and detectors of harmful chemicals.  Recreating a fly's movements with artificial parts could not be done using existing manufacturing processes.  It was simply not possible to scale down existing mechanical parts, it would not have given them the performance needed.  

Along with help from researchers at the University of California Berkeley a new fabrication process was developed.  This involved using laser micromachining tools to cut thin sheets of carbon fiber and polymer.  The careful arrangement of these sheets allowed the team to create functional parts.  These tiny parts placed together gave the robot the ability to bend and rotate as an actual fly's body would.  It was also necessary to create parts that would respond to electrical signals.  The electro active polymers used change shape as when exposed to voltage allowing the fly's to be controlled.  The movements are still limited and are currently being worked on.  They also plan to scale down a lythium-polymer battery.  Along with the addition of chemical sensors there are many problems still yet to work out but it seems that some day soon this technology will be in full swing.