Perching and takeoff of a robotic insect on overhangs using switchable electrostatic adhesion

Making small robots stick Aerial views offer the chance to observe a wide range of terrain at once, but they come at the cost of needing to stay aloft. Graule et al. found that electrostatic forces could keep their insect-sized flying robot stuck to the underside of a range of surfaces (see the Perspective by Kovac). They mounted an electrostatically charged pad to the top of their robot, which could then reversibly stick to existing elevated perches—including a leaf—using less power than would be needed for sustained flight. Science , this issue p. 978 ; see also p. 895