Source: C.Kang via NASASource: C.Kang via NASANASA will reportedly fund a project that would develop bee-like robots for the purpose of helping to explore Mars.

Covered in sharp rocks and uneven surfaces, the red planet makes it difficult for rovers to traverse, which means a better way to explore the planet might be from above, according to aerospace engineers. As such, engineers will embark on the Marsbees project.

Although bumble-bee sized, the robots are expected to be designed with cicada-sized wings and aerospace engineers will reportedly work in conjunction with Japanese robotics teams to develop the flying bots.

"Our preliminary numerical results suggest that a bumblebee with a cicada wing can generate sufficient lift to hover in the Martian atmosphere," said Chang-kwon Kang, an aerospace engineer at the University of Alabama, Huntsville.

The objective of the first phase of the Marsbees' project is to refine the concept and determine its feasibility.

To contact the author of this article, email mdonlon@globalspec.com