Flying Robots Inspired by Nature: Finnish and U.S. Researchers Pioneer Light-Controlled Maple Seed Drones

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Tiny robots that glide like maple seeds have been created by researchers at Tampere University and the University of Pittsburgh, which might revolutionise environmental monitoring.

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These creative robots recreate the distinct flying patterns of seeds by using light-activated materials, opening up new options for data collecting.

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These GPS-enabled gadgets monitor environmental parameters like pH levels and heavy metal concentrations in real-time.

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This innovative research, led by Professor Hao Zeng and Doctoral Researcher Jianfeng Yang, aims to deploy these flying robots in fleets around the globe.

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Artificial maple seeds have superior stability and speed compared to genuine seeds, making them ideal for collecting environmental data over extended distances.

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First introduced in early 2023, the initial prototypes have demonstrated encouraging outcomes in real-world field testing, suggesting potential future uses in animal research and catastrophe management.

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With funding from the Research Council of Finland, the project is expected to grow until 2026 and is a substantial investment in sustainable technology.

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The cooperation of American and Finnish organisations highlights the worldwide endeavour to use robots to address difficult environmental problems.

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Find out how these robots might revolutionise search and rescue operations and offer previously unattainable distant ecological monitoring.

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