Flying Robot Hummingbird

Hummingbird is a flying robot insect developed by the Japanese at the University of Chiba.   This prototype weighs only 2.6 ounces; it is operated via an infrared remote control, and can fly for several minutes at 10 meters high. Its four wings can flap up to 30 beats per second. Future developments will include video and photo cameras. The project's cost was nearly 3 million dollars; Hummingbird may be used in rescue operations during natural disasters, to hunt down fugitives, or even to explore Mars. The Japanese are not the only ones working on this type of prototype since Berkeley Lab is currently working on a similar model named "Robofly," which is even more advanced, technologically speaking. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4H5f1qJp3M