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Human-Made Fireflies Emit Colored Light to Communicate, Could Have Various Applications

Advancements in robotics are changing everything in our world, so don’t be surprised if someday, the fireflies you spot in your backyard are not the glowing bugs you remember, but tiny robots with electroluminescent artificial muscles.
MIT-developed robotic firefly 6 photos
Photo: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MIT-developed robotic fireflyMIT-developed robotic fireflyMIT-developed robotic fireflyMIT-developed robotic fireflyMIT-developed robotic firefly
We’ve seen a lot of insect-inspired robots being developed lately, with these micro-sized machines bringing a lot of advantages to the table. Their reduced dimensions allow them to access tightly confined spaces and scientists think they could someday prove to be very useful in medicine, for monitoring applications, surveillance, search and rescue missions, and so much more. One example is the microflier, developed by Northwestern University in Illinois, dubbed the world’s smallest flying structure. Another one would be the tiniest walking robot, which is smaller than a flea, measuring just 0.019” (0.48 millimeters) in width.

Researchers at MIT have also come up with their own nature-defying little robot, a firefly that lights up every time it flaps its wings. For those who weren’t paying attention in their biology class, when they glow so adorably, fireflies are, in fact, communicating with one another, using their luminescence for various purposes such as attracting prey or a mate.

Inspired by the glimmering bugs, engineers at MIT have developed their own tiny fireflies. Their insect-scale robots have what scientists describe as artificial muscles to control their wings. Those muscles are soft actuators made by “alternating ultrathin layers of elastomer and carbon nanotube electrode in a stack and then rolling it into a squishy cylinder”, as best explained by MIT.

To make them communicate via light just like their “natural” counterparts, engineers incorporated electroluminescent zinc sulfate particles into the elastomer. Depending on the chemical combination of the zinc particles, each actuator shines a certain color, which can be blue, green, or orange.

The actuators of the robotic fireflies emit colored light during flight, which helps the robots communicate.

While being small comes with multiple advantages, it also poses some challenges. Larger robots can communicate significantly easier because they can use different tools. But tiny machines that weigh no more than a paper clip can’t carry payloads such as sensors, because these fireflies are just too lightweight. But engineers have found a way around that, managing to test them and track them precisely using just the light they emit and three smartphone cameras.

The small robotic fireflies that glow during flight could be suitable for a variety of applications, such as search and rescue missions. For instance, they could be deployed in a collapsed building and if one robot finds a survivor, it can signal to others using its light and get help.

The next step for the MIT engineers is to take their glowing robotic bugs outside the lab to test them in real-world conditions.

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About the author: Cristina Mircea
Cristina Mircea profile photo

Cristina’s always found writing more comfortable to do than speaking, which is why she chose print over broadcast media in college. When she’s not typing, she also loves riding non-motorized two-wheelers, going on hikes with her dog, and rocking her electric guitars.
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