Anyone who has been to an underwater aquarium exhibit or have gone diving in waters where there are just so many jellyfish around would be able to share with you the seemingly calm way that these creatures move along in the water, and you almost want to touch them – until you remember that most of them pack quite a deadly sting, fatal at times to some. Well, here is another modern day project that pays homage to the jellyfish in the way it moves. This new small robot will fly through the air and not swim through water in the same manner that a jellyfish swims.
The jellyfish flier is certainly a strange sight to behold, as though it hails from some sort of weird dream. In fact, it is this very unique design that prevents it from tipping over as it takes flight without having to make use of sensors as well as external controls. This particular ability could signal the beginning of a new generation of robots that allows it to maneuver through small and tight spaces, according to its inventor Leif Ristroph, who happens to be a postdoctoral researcher at New York University. Ristroph continued, “What’s cool is you can actually build these flying things yourself.All the components I used to make this, they cost about $15 and they’re available on hobby airplane websites.”
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