A tiny radical laser-powered flying robot could soon revolutionize everything from disaster recovery to sniffing out* gas leaks.

Engineers at the University of Washington have revealed the RoboFly had taken its first untethered flaps earlier this year, marking the first time a wireless flying robotic insect has flown. Now the man behind the project has revealed he hopes to have fully autonomous* swarms roaming the skies within five years.

RoboFly is powered by an onboard circuit that converts the laser energy into enough electricity to operate its wings.

Sawyer Fuller, an assistant professor in the University of Washington’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, said that right now RoboFly can only take off and land, but the team hopes to soon be able to steer the laser so that RoboFly can hover and fly around.

They are currently working on more advanced brains and sensor systems to help the robots navigate and complete tasks on their own, Fuller said.

Insect-sized flying robots could be used for time-consuming* tasks like surveying crop growth on large farms or sniffing out gas leaks. They could also help in life-saving search and rescue missions.

(SD-Agencies)