Insect deployable sensor could gather data in inaccessible areas

On receipt of a Bluetooth command, the sensor is released from its perch and can fall up to 72 feet and land without breaking, claim its developers at the University of Washington. Once on the ground, the sensor can collect data, such as temperature or humidity, for almost three years.

Cockroach-inspired robot squeezes into rescue missions

The team presented this research at MobiCom 2020.

"We have seen examples of how the military drops food and essential supplies from helicopters in disaster zones. We were inspired by this and asked the question: Can we use a similar method to map out conditions in regions that are too small or too dangerous for a person to go to?" said senior author Shyam Gollakota, a UW associate professor in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering. "This is the first time anyone has shown that sensors can be released from tiny drones or insects such as moths, which can traverse through narrow spaces better than any drone and sustain much longer flights."