Researchers have created the first fully autonomous robotic flying insect . Previous robo - insects were tethered to an external power source , as the cables required for their flight were so heavy . Once its photovoltaic cell is out of the direct line of sight of the laser, the robot runs out of power and lands. Now , engineers from the University of Washington have come up with a solution , the RoboFly , which is powered by an invisible laser beam directed at a photovoltaic cell on the robot that converts the laser beam into enough electricity to operate its wings . The tiny flying robots will be able to slip into small spaces such as pipelines or at disaster sites , which larger aerial drones would be unable to access .
Researchers have created the first fully autonomous robotic flying insect . Previous robo - insects were tethered to an external power source , as the cables required for their flight were so heavy . Now , engineers from the University of Washington have come up with a solution , the RoboFly , which is powered by an invisible laser beam directed at a photovoltaic cell on the robot that converts the laser beam into enough electricity to operate its wings . The tiny flying robots will be able to slip into small spaces such as pipelines or at disaster sites , which larger aerial drones would be unable to access .