Robot Insects to Help Disaster Area

A Swiss robotics researchers have created a robot that can fly and perch on a wall or tree.
According to researchers, the purpose it was created so that the robot can travel on a heavy field like a disaster area. Moreover, a robot equipped with sensors and a small camera is different, they can be used in the disaster area for sending important information back to the command center to save the victims.
The ability of this insect-like robots, able to stick on almost all types of surfaces, even concrete walls.
"We do not blindly imitate nature, but uses the same principle for a possible fix that problem," said Mirko Kovac, a scientist who makes robots from the Ecole Polytechnique federales de Lausanne (EPFL).
"Behavior such as jumping, flying and perching require complex control of movement without the need for high computing power," he added, as quoted by TG Daily, Friday (25/06/2010).
The ability to perch, able to save precious energy to allow the robot to rest, just like the case of insects or birds.
Previous perch mechanism requiring complex maneuvers to reduce the momentum dived and landed on the foot. Well, EPFL avoid this problem by using two spring arm is equipped with pins that dig into the surface.