Magic fairy robot flies by the power of wind and light

Hao Zeng and Jianfeng Yang were inspired to create their artificial fairy by dandelion seeds. (CREDIT: Jianfeng Yang/Tampere University)

The development of stimulus-responsive polymers has opened up many material-related possibilities for the next generation of small, soft-body, wirelessly controlled robots. For some time now, engineers have known how to use these materials to build little robots that can walk, swim, and jump. So far, no one has been able to make them fly.

Researchers from the Light Robots group at the University of Tampere are currently studying how to make smart materials fly. Hao Zeng, an Academy researcher and team leader, and Jianfeng Yang, a doctoral student, have developed a new design for their project called FAIRY – flying aerorobots based on light-sensitive materials. They have developed a polymer assembly robot that flies by wind and is controlled by light.

“This artificial seed outperforms its natural counterparts and is equipped with a soft drive. The actuator is made of a photosensitive liquid crystal elastomer that causes the bristles to open or close when excited by visible light,” explains Hao Zeng.

Artificial fairy controlled by light

The artificial fairy designed by Zeng and Yang has several biomimetic features. Due to its high porosity (0.95) and light (1.2 mg) structure, it can easily float in the air directed by the wind. Moreover, the stable generation of individual vortex rings makes it possible to travel long distances with the help of the wind.

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“The fairy can be powered and controlled by a light source, such as a laser beam or LED,” says Zeng.

This means that light can be used to change the shape of a tiny dandelion seed-like structure. The fairy can manually adapt to the direction and strength of the wind by changing its shape. The light beam can also be used to control the takeoff and landing of a polymer assembly.

Potential applications in agriculture

Next, the researchers will focus on improving the sensitivity of the material so that the device can work in sunlight. In addition, they will enlarge the structure so that it can carry microelectronic devices such as GPS and sensors, as well as biochemical compounds.

The sensitive polymer allows the creation of artificial, autonomous structures. In dark and calm weather, the fairy stands motionless. When there is enough light, the design automatically opens, allowing you to fly in the wind. (CREDIT: Jianfeng Yang/Tampere University)

There is potential for even more important applications, Zeng said.

“It sounds like science fiction, but the proof-of-concept experiments included in our study show that the robot we have developed provides an important step towards realistic applications suitable for artificial pollination,” he says.

In the future, millions of pollen-bearing artificial dandelion seeds can be freely dispersed by natural winds and then guided by light to specific areas with trees waiting to be pollinated.

Dandelion style dispersant. Top views and photos of natural dandelion and artificial dispersant. (CREDIT: cutting edge science)

“This will have a huge impact on agriculture around the world as the loss of pollinators due to global warming has become a major threat to biodiversity and food production,” Zeng says.

Problems still to be solved

However, many issues need to be addressed first. For example, how to precisely control the landing site, how to reuse devices and make them biodegradable? These issues require close collaboration with materials scientists and people working on microrobotics.

Easy controlled takeoff and landing. A series of photographs showing passive scattering of structures upon termination of light a) and irradiation with light. (CREDIT: cutting edge science)

The FAIRY project started in September 2021 and will run until August 2026. It is funded by the Academy of Finland. The flying robot is being researched in collaboration with Dr. Wenqi Hu from the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (Germany) and Dr. Hang Zhang from Aalto University.

Jianfeng Yang, Hang Zhang, Alex Berdin, Wenqi Hu, and Hao Zeng’s “Dandelion-inspired, wind-scattered, light-guided polymer assembly” was published in Advanced Science.

For more science news, visit our New Innovations section at The bright side of the news.

Note: Materials provided above by the University of Tampere. Content can be edited for style and length.

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