2021
New research: “Collision resilient insect-scale soft-actuated aerial robots with high agility” is published in IEEE Transaction on Robotics
We developed a new class of soft aerial robots with unprecedented dexterity and resilience. This new 0.6g soft aerial robot has a large lift-to-weight-ratio (2.1:1). It can recover from in-flight collisions and perform acrobatic aerial maneuvers such as a somersault in 0.16 s. This work demonstrates for the first time that insect-scale aerial robots can achieve insect-like flight capabilities. A detailed description of our work can be found in MIT news.
2019
New research: “Controlled flight of a microrobot powered by soft artificial muscles” is published in Nature
We have developed the first heavier-than-air aerial robot powered by dielectric elastomer actuators (DEA) and demonstrated controlled hovering flight. Each robot module weighs 160 mg, and flaps at approximately 300 Hz to generate sufficient lift forces. The full paper can be accessed through Nature’s webpage:Controlled flight of a microrobot powered by soft artificial muscles.
Selected media coverage can be found here: RoboBee powered by soft muscles
Invited talk: Insect-scale robots: functions and future applications
In a 5-minutes talk at the MIT media lab, Professor Chen briefly introduced the functions and potential applications of insect-scale robots.
2018
Professor Chen was selected on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, in the category of Science. For more information, please check out the link below:
Forbes 30 Under 30, Science category
Forbes: Bite-Sized Robots Could Transform Natural Disaster Search And Rescue
Reuters: Robotic cockroach can walk on land and swim underwater
BBC News: Could a robotic cockroach aid rescues?
Popular Mechanics: Harvard Robotic Cockroach Walks Underwater
Harvard SEAS: Next-generation robotic cockroach can explore underwater environments
2017
Science News: These ‘robo-bees’ can dive, swim, and jump like dolphins
Harvard Gazette: New RoboBee flies, dives, swims and explodes out of water
BBC: The robot that can swim and fly and other tech news
CBC: Insect-sized robot can both fly and swim
Science Friday: Meet The Insect Bot That Uses Water To Fly
Oceans Deeply: Sticky Tech: Robots That Mimic Remoras Could Expand Ocean Exploration
Science News: This robotic ‘remora’ can cling to objects with a force 340 times its own weight
2016
Business Insider: The 19 most important things that happened in robotics this year
2015
IEEE Spectrum: Harvard’s Robot Bee Is Now Also a Submarine
Harvard Gazette: The tiny flying submarine
BBC News: Robotic Bee copies puffins to fly and swim
Fox News: Harvard engineers develop swimming ‘RoboBee’
Yahoo News: Harvard researchers create insect-sized robot that both fly and swim
Engadget: Robotic bees outdo their organic rivals by swimming 2015