Amazing video:

Robot from China moves like a real beetle

The beetle in the spectacular video.(Bild: IEEE Spectrum)

Insects have long been a popular inspiration for robots due to their simple body structure. However, a new artificial beetle from China has never come as close to the biological original. The replica crawler flies, moves realistically and has a battery life of one hour.

The world of insects is a veritable treasure trove of tiny, fully autonomous creatures with special abilities. They are extremely mobile, energy-efficient, have self-healing powers and some can lift more than their own body weight. In recent years, roboticists have made progress in trying to copy these characteristics, but their creations have never come close to the abilities of real insects - until now. A new robo-beetle from China comes amazingly close to nature.