AIS306: Making Aerial Micro-Drones a Reality

The concept of insect-scale aerial drones has long been in the realm of science fiction rather than reality, especially since powering such small drones is fundamentally difficult. In this talk, Shyam Gollakota will share his work on robofly, the first honeybee-sized wireless drone to successfully lift off. He will also discuss an alternative biology-based solution that integrates sensing, computing, and communication functions onto live-flying bumblebees. Data generated from this mobile IoT platform can feed AI models that have the potential to generate valuable intelligence for applications ranging from precision irrigation to environmental sensing.