Sub-1-Gram Flapping-Wing Robot Achieves 4-Minute Untethered Altitude-Hold Flight

Micro flapping-wing aerial vehicles have attracted attention for their bio-inspired efficiency, but untethered altitude-hold flight has remained difficult. According to Leaderobot, a flapping-wing robot weighing less than one gram has now achieved four minutes of untethered altitude-hold flight. The robot integrates an ultra-light flapping mechanism with onboard power and control electronics; stable altitude hold at such small scales requires overcoming challenges in aerodynamic sensing and real-time control. Such vehicles are difficult to control because flapping wings produce unsteady aerodynamics, while onboard sensing and power are constrained by weight. The reported flight shows these obstacles can be managed in a fully untethered system. In tests, the vehicle maintained level flight for four minutes—a notable duration for a robot of this size. The advance could enable applications in environmental monitoring, search and rescue, and swarm robotics.