Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and EPFL built a robotic bird that can swim underwater and fly with its flapping wings. It is reportedly the first one of its size to launch into flight from water without using propellers. The single-system, dual-medium drone, the Flapping-Wing Aerial-Aquatic Vehicle (FAAV), weighs only 250 gms. The robot operates on non-flexible, pre-programmed code and is yet to be automated.

The prototype is available for purchase at a cost of around $300 for materials and parts. Open Computer-Aided Design (CAD) files from the project will also be made available, ensuring that universities and independent builders will be able to manufacture the parts locally utilising standard 3D printers.

The robot was conceived to enhance environmental monitoring. The premise being that it will be capable of reaching places that humans find hard to reach – such as polluted water, the edges of ice shelves, and volcanic lakes. It is the anticipation that the robot will someday be of essential assistance in search-and-rescue missions.

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Since the prototype was tested in fresh waters, whether it can survive ocean-based conditions remains to be seen. Presumably, to be commercially viable, the hardware would need to survive saltwater corrosion and other nautical challenges

On a positive note though, a single unit that can navigate both aerial and aquatic domains at a $300 price point could prove immensely viable for companies interested in building and utilising this robot. And the availability of CAD files should also not be underestimated as a major component towards commercialisation.