Given that the flying jellyfish is still an early prototype, it has its limitations. For one, it cannot be controlled on the fly. The researchers can change the way the robot flies or give it more lift, but this has to be done before the jelly is turned on. The device is also tied to an external power source — the team is now looking into implementing an onboard battery.
The robot's very simple design and natural stability is promising, Ristroph said, because it allows for easy miniaturization. Once the design is finalized, the researchers should be able to fabricate
really tiny flying robots that have all the simplicity and stability of the larger versions. Aside from obvious surveillance and military applications, Ristroph thinks the flying jellyfish could someday be used for search and rescue missions in collapsed buildings and such. They could also be used for monitoring and sensing purposes. "I like to imagine that you make hundreds of the flyers and throw them out above New York City to test air quality and other things," he said.
But there's still one big issue to figure out: The robot's name.
"We haven't really dubbed it yet, so we usually call it the 'flying jellyfish,'" Ristroph said. "But I like the name 'AeroJelly.' That would be cool."
Check out the study over in the
Journal of the Royal Society Interface.
All media via Leif Ristroph.
onlinecollegedegreee.blogspot.com The "bizarre experiment" that became a flying jellyfish robot