Robot bugs may see Mars

Robotic insects may one day swarm the surface of Mars, helping scientists study the planet, says Dr. K.M. Isaac, professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Missouri-Rolla. Working with NASA, the Ohio Aerospace Institute, and the Georgia Institute of Technology, the professor will create the robotic flying machine called an Entomopter (the concept of entomology and the word helicopter combined).

The mechanical insect will be able to crawl and fly while studying, videotaping, photographing, and gathering other types of information about planets, but specifically Mars, closer than any current technology, says Isaac.

The project, called Planetary Exploration using Biomimetics, hinges on creating insectlike wings that are the right size and shape for lift-off and flight. Researchers are using computer simulations and prototypes of the Entomopter's wings to not only study the shape and weight of real insects' wings, but also the frequency at which they move.