How insects fly [aerodynamic aspects and robot design]

Summary form only given. Engineers have long been mocked for their inability to explain how a bumblebee flies. This paradox arose because conventional aerodynamic theory predicts that the wings of bees and other insect´s forces should generate forces that are too low to keep an animal aloft. Recent work using high speed imaging, supercomputers, and giant robotic insects has finally resolved this enigma by identifying a palette of novel mechanisms that insects use to hover and maneuver. Now that the aerodynamics of insect flight are well understood, this knowledge is being used to help engineers design fly-sized flapping robots.