For their artificial fairy, Hao Zeng and Jianfeng Yang were inspired by dandelion seeds.

Photo: Europa Press.

Researchers at the University of Tampere have developed

the first passive flying robot equipped with artificial muscle

, with the final idea of ​​using it in the future for artificial pollination.

The loss of pollinators, such as bees, is a huge challenge for global biodiversity and affects humanity by causing problems in food production.

The development of stimuli-responsive polymers has opened up a range of


material possibilities for the next generation of small-scale, wirelessly controlled soft-bodied robots.

Engineers have known for some time how to use these materials to make small robots capable of walking, swimming and jumping.

Until now, no one had been able to make them fly.

Researchers from the University of Tampere's Lightweight Robots group are now investigating how to make smart materials fly.

Hao Zeng, an Academy researcher and head of the group, and Jianfeng Yang, a doctoral researcher, have come up with a new design for their project called FAIRY (Flying Aero-robots based on Light Responsive Materials Assembly).

They have developed a polymer assembly robot that flies in the wind and


is controlled by light.

“Superior to its natural counterparts, this artificial 'seed' is equipped with a


soft actuator.

The actuator is made of light-sensitive liquid crystalline elastomer, which induces opening or closing actions of the bristles upon excitation of visible light," Hao Zeng explains in a statement.

The artificial fairy developed by Zeng and Yang has several biomimetic features.

Thanks to its high porosity structure (0.95) and low weight (1.2 mg), it can easily float in the air directed by the wind.

In addition, the generation of a ring of separate and stable vortices allows long-distance displacements assisted by the wind.

“The 'fairy' can be powered and controlled by a light source, such as a laser beam or an LED,” Zeng says.

This means that light can be used to change the shape of the tiny dandelion seed-like structure.

The fairy can manually adapt to the direction and strength of the wind by changing its shape.

A light beam can also be used to control the takeoff and landing actions of this polymer assembly.

Next, the researchers will focus on improving the sensitivity of the material to allow the device to function in sunlight.

In addition, they will expand the structure so that it can carry microelectronic devices such as GPS and sensors, as well as biochemical compounds.

According to Zeng, there is potential for even more significant applications.

“It sounds like science fiction, but

the proof-of-concept experiments included in our research show that the robot we have developed is an important step towards realistic applications suitable for artificial pollination,”

he reveals.

In the future, millions of pollen-bearing artificial dandelion seeds could be freely dispersed by natural winds and then directed by light toward specific areas with trees awaiting pollination.

“This would have a huge impact on global agriculture, as the loss of


pollinators due to global warming has become a serious threat to biodiversity and food production,” Zeng says.

However, many problems must be solved first.

For example, how to control the landing point precisely?

How to reuse devices and make them biodegradable?

These questions require close collaboration with materials scientists and people working in microrobotics.

The FAIRY project started in September 2021 and will last until August 2026. It is funded by the Academy of Finland.

The flying robot is being researched in collaboration with Dr. Wenqi Hu of the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (Germany) and Dr. Hang Zhang of Aalto University.

(With information from Europa Press)