Scientist Develops Robotic Bats Mimicking Real Behavior

Search and rescue operations often take place in environments that are hazardous or inaccessible for humans, including extreme weather, rugged landscapes, and areas filled with smoke or dust.

A researcher from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) is designing robots modeled after bats to carry out these missions in place of people.

Nitin J. Sanket, a professor at WPI, and his team have created compact flying robots that fit in the palm of your hand. Like bats, these robots use ultrasound and AI-driven software to filter noise from ultrasound signals, enabling them to detect obstacles within two meters.

"Search and rescue is typically performed on foot," Sanket explained to TechCrunch. "Many rescuers enter extremely harsh conditions with flashlights, risking their lives to save others. Drones offer a solution—they cover large areas quickly, with agility and speed."

Nitin Sanket.Image Credits:Nitin Sanket / WPI

Sanket has long been interested in aerial robots and drones and how this technology can be adapted for real-world applications. While pursuing his PhD, his advisor challenged him to develop the smallest possible robot, sparking his interest in using biological inspiration to create compact machines.

"We had to rethink drone design from scratch, turning to biology for inspiration," Sanket said. "Nature outperforms current technology—insects and birds achieve incredible flight with limited computational power and basic sensory systems. Their eyes and brains are modest, yet they accomplish amazing navigation. That insight became the foundation of my PhD research."

Sanket developed a prototype of a robotic beehive composed of small drones designed to pollinate flowers. Although promising, he recognized this application was highly ambitious and shifted focus to areas where biologically inspired robots could have a more immediate impact—leading to his current work.

For search and rescue robots, the primary challenge was integrating necessary sensors and flight technology without making the robots too large, costly, or energy-demanding.

Sanket mentioned they adopted ultrasound sensors similar to those in automatic faucets due to their low power consumption. While effective, the robot’s propellers generated excessive noise, interfering with the sensors' ability to identify obstacles.

To address this, they revisited bat biology.

"Bats possess specialized tissues in their nose, ears, and mouth that change in thickness and density, allowing them to adjust how they emit and perceive sound," Sanket explained. "We found that fascinating and designed a 3D-printed structure for the robot that mimics this function, altering the sound profile just as bats do."

With the robots now operational, the team is focusing on their next challenge: increasing their speed.

"As humans, we often try to replicate what the human brain can do," Sanket noted. "We sometimes overlook the extraordinary capabilities of smaller animals—especially insects and birds—that excel at navigation despite their size. As scientists, not just engineers, we should draw more inspiration from them."