Tech

It’s a bird, it’s a plane … it’s a robo-puffin?

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 20/10/2026, 21:35:24 UTC.

Briefings

MIT and EPFL researchers developed a 300-gram robotic vehicle capable of transitioning between swimming and flying. Led by Raphael Zufferey, the device uses flexible wings coated with hydrophobic nanoparticles and a motorized tail to navigate aquatic environments. Experiments in water tanks and Lake Geneva confirmed that medium-sized wings with specific flapping frequencies allow the robot to sample from dangerous areas like icebergs or whale pods without human intervention.

Key points

• The robot weighs less than 300 grams and uses flexible wings coated with hydrophobic nanoparticles to minimize flapping amplitude in water while maintaining flight stability.
• A pitch of 70 degrees allows the robot to leap from water to air, and it does not require feet to take off from the water's surface.

Context

This finding challenges assumptions about fluid dynamics, as birds like gulls and puffins can swim and fly despite water's 1,000x density. The robot's design enables oceanographers to collect data frequently and across locations, potentially reducing costs and risks associated with traditional sampling methods.

Limitations

Results are limited to experiments in controlled water tanks and Lake Geneva. Performance under turbulent conditions, such as choppy waters or wind, remains untested. The team is still developing wings that can turn as well as flap, and deployment for real-world ocean science is pending.

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