Harvard's Robot bee has been developed for the last several years. Researchers have done some impressive work on their sub-paper clip-sized, 100 milligram flapping-wing micro-aerial vehicle, which is fully controllable that includes a stable autonomous hover in the air.

According to IEEE Spectrum, the RoboBee is still tethered for power, and there is no onboard autonomous control. However, the Robot bee can flap its wings and fly like an insect, which is amazing.

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The robotic bees have a number of potential for surveillance, exploration, search, and rescue, and yet, what has been all the rage presently is the adaptive multimodal robotics, in which robots can creatively handle a combination of terrains that makes them more versatile.

There are some ground robots that can handle water, and a few flying robots are not totally helpless on the ground but they have not seen much in the way that flying robots are good swimmers.

On Sep. 30, Wednesday, Harvard researchers presented a paper that described on how they managed to get their Robobee to swim, which is usually not a thing for real bees. Without modifications on the hardware, Harvard's RoboBee can fly in the air, can crash land in the water, and can turn into a little submarine.

When the robot flies or swims, it is captured by motion capture system that can track its position and can be commanded to work either in the air or water. Its method of entry is deliberate, whether to dive, pitch over, sink, or crash. Moreover, it has been realized that swimming is a lot like flying that which it can fluidly move a wing back and forth.

Hence, this researchers' breakthrough that has been worked on for five years now is working properly. The robots can be controlled to take off and go where it is commanded to.

TagsRoboBee, robot bee, search and rescue, submarine, Harvard