Robotic Flying Jellyfish Takes to the Air in This Video

A flying robotic jellyfish has just been invented by scientists.
Fabienne Lang

Flying and jellyfish are not words we typically see side by side, let alone witness in real life. 

A group of scientists has built a new flying machine that operates much like the jellyfish we know in the ocean. And it weighs less than 30 grams

Made of Mylar film and carbon fiber, it alternately flaps its opposing pairs of wings, shaped like flower petals.

In the video the jellyfish flying robot looks a little unstable as it flaps upwards, however, according to the scientists who built it, they argue that it is in fact more stable than robots based on birds or insects

It can hover and change direction by adjusting its speed and size of the flapping. Currently, the prototype still needs to be plugged into an electrical source in order to operate, the plan is for it to fly by battery power

This invention may be useful in the future for military surveillance or for monitoring traffic and air quality. Some rather useful tricks for a jellyfish, of sorts. 

Watch the video to see exactly how the robot operates.

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