MIT和EPFL的工程师团队联合设计了一款名为FAAV（拍翅航空水生飞行器）的仿生机器人，能够像海鹦一样在空中飞行、潜入水中游泳并从水面跃起。1该机器人重量不足300克，翅膀采用涂有疏水纳米粒子的薄膜膜材制成。1
通过在水槽和日内瓦湖进行的实验，研究团队发现了使机器人平稳实现游泳到飞行转换的关键参数组合：中等大小的柔性翅膀、相似于真实鸟类的拍翅频率，以及70度的陡峭俯仰角。1项目负责人、MIT机械工程助理教授Raphael Zufferey表示："我们的梦想是让海洋学家、海洋生物学家和沿海社区成员从船上或岸边发射这个机器人，以传统方法成本的一小部分获得数据。"1
这项技术未来有望用于海洋采样和数据收集，相比传统调查方法可显著提高数据采集频率——每小时而非每周进行多次采集——同时成为一种低成本的替代方案。1
Engineers from MIT and EPFL have designed a biomimetic robot capable of executing the remarkable feats of its avian namesake—flying through the air, diving into water, and launching back into flight.1 The device, known as FAAV (Flapping Aerial-Aquatic Vehicle), weighs less than 300 grams and represents a breakthrough in amphibious robotics designed to navigate both aerial and aquatic environments seamlessly.1
The research team, led by Raphael Zufferey, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at MIT, identified the precise combination of wing specifications and motion parameters needed to achieve smooth transitions between swimming and flying.1 Testing conducted in water tanks and Lake Geneva revealed that medium-sized flexible wings coated with hydrophobic nanoparticles, combined with wing-beat frequencies similar to those of real birds and a steep 70-degree pitch angle, enabled the robot to move fluidly between the two modes.1
The technology promises significant practical applications for oceanographic research and environmental monitoring. Zufferey envisions that "oceanographers, marine biologists, and members of coastal communities could launch this robot from ships or shorelines to obtain data at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods."1 Unlike conventional survey approaches that collect oceanic samples on a weekly basis, the robot could enable multiple data collection missions per hour, transforming how scientists gather information about marine environments.1
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