'Fly-on-the-wall' robots could be search-and-rescue devices
Scientists at MIT have developed a minute robot that can perch on any surface using static electricity that makes the electrodes of the object it wishes to attach to shuffle and then attract, allowing it to conserve battery while operating. Known as the RoboBee, the tiny robots are easy to manoeuvre in hard to reach places and are cheap to develop, making them a suggested option for search-and-rescue missions, as the drones can remain active without wasting battery power. The company plans to design a battery-operated version without wire restrictions.

The key to any successful search-and-rescue operation is knowing what you’re dealing with, but especially for complex and time-consuming missions, that can be challenging.

One possible solution: tiny flying robots that can canvas an area and return up-to-date information. Current “microbots” tend to run out of energy quickly, but scientists are close to overcoming that limitation. Watch the video above to see how.