A robotic dragonfly with a wingspan of 63 cm
canadianmanufacturing.com
canadianmanufacturing.com
Two Wings http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pn5pPy9BX3w
Four Wings http://youtu.be/rJwIhnFxuWQ
More wings http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyDLs0w48tA
Though for a first generation it looks quite good. It is quite functional indeed, and a great achievement for the engineers.
But yes, the tail and head seem to pick up a lot vibration of swinging wings. Can't wait for the next iteration!
Meganeura is a genus of extinct insects from the Carboniferous period approximately 300 million years ago, which resembled and are related to the present-day dragonflies. With wingspans of up to 65 cm (25.6 in), M. monyi is one of the largest known flying insect species; the Permian Meganeuropsis permiana is another. Meganeura were predatory, and fed on other insects, and even small amphibians.
There was a study where by increasing the amount of oxygen in the air, in just a few generations, insect were gaining as much as 10% in size.