Tiny Soft Drone Can Survive Being Stomped

Dec-20-19 The tiny but robust soft-bodied DEAnsect drone can survive being stepped on and hit with a fly swatter

The DEAnsect created by the team at EPFL is equipped with a set of artificial muscles made up of an elastomer membrane between a pair of soft electrodes--the dielectric elastomer actuators. Applying a voltage to the material will cause the electrodes to draw near each other and compress the membrane—in the case of the DEAnsect, 400 times per second. It is these vibrations that propel the tiny drone forward.

The team has made two versions of the drone: a fly-swattable hard-wired version and a self-contained drone with an integrated battery.

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[CO.UK]
[ACTU.EPFL.CH]

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