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Updated: Feb 11, 2026
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Insect-machine Hybrid System: Remote Radio Control of a Freely Flying Beetle Mercynorrhina torquata
Published on: September 2, 2016
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Feedback Control-Based Navigation of a Flying Insect-Machine Hybrid Robot
Yao Li1, Jinbin Wu1, Hirotaka Sato1
1School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University , Singapore, Singapore .
Soft Robotics
|May 4, 2018
Summary
Researchers achieved the first aero-navigation of a free-flying insect using feedback control. Live beetles were transformed into soft robots, enabling remote control for precise aerial maneuvering and flight path correction.
Area of Science:
- Robotics
- Bio-inspired Engineering
- Insect Flight Dynamics
Background:
- Insects exhibit superior aerial maneuverability compared to current artificial flyers.
- Directly commanding insect flight offers a breakthrough in bio-hybrid robotics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate the aero-navigation of a free-flying insect using feedback control.
- To develop a method for remotely controlling insect flight for navigation.
Main Methods:
- Beetles (Mecynorrhina torquata) were equipped with an electronic backpack containing an inertial measurement unit.
- Electrical stimulation of flight muscles (basalar and third axillary) was used for directional control.
- A proportional-derivative (PD) feedback controller was implemented for navigation.
Main Results:
- Insects gradually adapt to prolonged electrical stimulation, reducing flight correction effectiveness.
- A novel stimulation protocol with intermittent pulses (150ms stimulation, 200ms rest) proved more efficient than continuous stimulation (>300ms).
- Successful navigation of beetles along a predetermined path was achieved.
Conclusions:
- Bio-hybrid insect robots can be navigated using feedback control systems.
- Optimized electrical stimulation protocols are crucial for effective insect-robot control.
- This approach advances the field of soft robotics and autonomous aerial systems.
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