Researchers from the Light Robots group at the University of Tampere said:FAIRYHe is working on a project called ”. this project to fly smart material aims. The team led by Hao Zeng and Jianfeng Yang developed a polymer assembly robot controlled by light and flying with the wind.
A fairy-like robot flying with the power of wind and light
resembling a dandelion seed artificial fairyequipped with a soft actuator made of photosensitive liquid crystal elastomer. Light can be used to change the shape of the robot and control its takeoff and landing movements.
The researchers then worked on improving the material sensitivity to allow work in sunlight and micro-electronics to transport devices, sensors and biochemical compounds they will focus on growing the structure.
The robot’s potential applications are extremely important, including artificial pollination, where millions of artificial seeds can be dispersed by natural winds and then directed to specific areas using light. The FAIRY project, which started in September 2021, has a duration of five years and is being researched in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems and Aalto University in Germany.
While the concept of an artificial fairy controlled by light and wind is promising, there are several challenges to be solved, such as precise control of the landing point, reusability and biodegradability. Close collaboration with materials scientists and those working in the micro robotics field will be necessary to address these issues.
Next, the researchers will focus on improving the material sensitivity to enable the device to work in sunlight. They will also scale the structure to accommodate microelectronics and biochemical compounds such as GPS and sensors.