Aerobatic maneuvers in insect-scale robots via deep-learned robust tube MPC (Science Advances 2025)

Aerobatic maneuvers in insect-scale flapping-wing aerial robots via deep-learned robust tube model predictive control

Paper: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/s...
MIT News article: https://news.mit.edu/2025/mit-enginee...

00:00 - Point-to-point flight demonstration (Real time)
00:08 - Point-to-point flight demonstration (Slow motion w/ simulation superimposed)
00:27 - Repeated point-to-point flight demonstration (Nominal, real time)
00:38 - Repeated point-to-point flight demonstration (Nominal, slow motion)
01:00 - Repeated point-to-point flight demonstration (Incorrect command-to-force mapping, real time)
01:08 - Repeated point-to-point flight demonstration (Incorrect command-to-force mapping, slow motion)
01:30 - Repeated point-to-point flight demonstration (Wind disturbance, real time)
01:38 - Repeated point-to-point flight demonstration (Wind disturbance, slow motion)
01:59 - High acceleration flight demonstration (Cross-shaped flight, real time)
02:13 - High acceleration flight demonstration (Cross-shaped flight, slow motion w/ simulation superimposed)
02:46 - High acceleration flight demonstration (Plus-shaped flight, real time)
02:55 - High acceleration flight demonstration (Plus-shaped flight, slow motion w/ simulation superimposed)
03:16 - Body flip demonstration (Single flip, real time)
03:28 - Body flip demonstration (Single flip, slow motion w/ simulation superimposed)
03:52 - Body flip demonstration (Ten consecutive flips, real time)
04:09 - Body flip demonstration (Ten consecutive flips, slow motion w/ simulation superimposed)
05:10 - Flight recovery under large disturbance (Real time)
05:23 - Flight recovery under large disturbance (Slow motion w/ annotations)