Ripple Bug-Inspired Microrobots Redefine Water Mobility

A team of scientists from several leading institutions has come together to push aquatic microrobotics to the next level. Their work, inspired by the water strider, Ripple Bug (Rhagovelia), could one day help engineers create super-responsive and agile machines that can glide across the water’s surface without using any motors. Here’s what you need to know.

Ripple Bugs

Ripple Bugs are tiny insects that measure only a few millimeters in length, yet can navigate fierce water and turbulence with minimal effort. These insects have long captured the attention of scientists due to their exceptional maneuverability and ability to easily navigate turbulent waterways.

Ripple Bugs appear to glide over water, with some likening their capabilities to having wings on their feet. These animals may not have been blessed by ancient Greek gods like Hermes, but they have been graced by evolution, enabling them to continuously row for their entire lifespan without feeling fatigue.

Breakthrough Aquatic Microrobotics Study Inspired by Ripple Bugs

Recognizing how this capability could push the field of aquatic microrobotics forward, engineers sought to gain a deeper understanding of how Ripple Bugs ride the water’s surface effortlessly. Their study¹ Ultrafast elastocapillary fans control agile maneuvering in Ripple Bugs and robots published in Science, unveils a bio-inspired robot that borrows the Ripple Bug’s unique approach to achieve similar maneuverability and thrust.

How Ripple Bugs Glide on Water

The first step in this process was to gain a comprehensive overview of how the Ripple Bug’s body enables its unique capabilities. The engineers began by examining the insect’s legs. Here, they noticed that the bug displayed biological mechanical embedded intelligence by design.

The team documented how tiny fans attached to the end of the Ripple Bug’s legs enable it to float on the water and move without exerting effort. The flat ribbon-shaped fans use surface tension and the drag forces that occur on the water’s surface to create thrust.

Aquatic Microrobotics

Under microscopic examination, the team noted that the fans feature tiny flat barbs. They are studded with tinier barbules, creating a unique microarchitecture with divergent rigidity in orthogonal directions. These fans automatically deploy with an elastic force and fan out when in water, acting like wings for the insect.

Source – Ajou University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Science

When removed from water, the fans close similarly to how a paintbrush contracts when removed. This action occurs due to the capillary forces of the water droplets on the fan directly, and not any muscle action by the insect.

Expecting this to be the case, one of the engineers removed a Ripple Bug leg and placed it on the end of a piece of human hair. From there, he lowered the hair and Ripple Bug’s leg into a water droplet. Within seconds, the fan sprang open, even without being attached to a body, confirming the engineer’s belief that the morphological aspects of the appendage occurred automatically.

Aquatic Microrobotics Thrust Production

Once the team thoroughly understood how Ripple Bugs achieved their unmatched maneuverability, the scientists set off to duplicate the process via a microrobot.  The tiny device features morphofunctional architecture and a similar size to Ripple Bugs. It weighed 0.23g and had 1-milligram elastocapillary fans integrated into its legs.

Trial and Error

Originally, the engineers tried cylindrical fan shapes. However, they quickly ascertained that these designs lacked the rigidity for thrust generation and flexibility for collapsibility that Ripple Bugs enjoy. The next attempt used a flat-ribbon-shaped fan.

The 1 mg tiny fan was integrated with 21 flat, ribbon-shaped barbs, designed to replicate a Ripple Bug’s anatomy. The team then set off to test its performance compared to the real thing. The test results shed further light on the microrobotics breakthrough and how it could impact future designs.

Aquatic Microrobotics Test

As part of the testing phase, the scientist utilized microrobotics and actual Ripple Bugs. The group began by monitoring the living bugs in the lab for 24 hours. They noted their average capabilities and behaviors. They then compared these capabilities to their tiny microrobot, which featured a man-made version of the fan legs.

Aquatic Microrobotics Test Results

The team found that the fan microstructure operated independently of any additional input. It could deploy and retract, provide thrust, accelerate, and brake quickly, all without any significant effort. The engineers were also excited to learn that only minimal energy was used when turning, making the discovery a breakthrough for microrobotics.

Interestingly, the scientists stated that they achieved performance comparable to that of fruit flies. Their device traversed the water’s surface at 120 body lengths per second and displayed full-body 96° turns in 50 milliseconds. These capabilities far outclass today’s most advanced aquatic microrobotics that still rely on motors for thrust.

Swipe to scroll →

Key Benefits of Aquatic Microrobotics

There are several benefits that the Aquatic Microrobotics study brings to the market. For one, it introduced a low-energy form of propulsion. When dealing with tiny and nano-scale devices, it’s wise to avoid complex mechanical setups or anything that requires a lot of energy.

Batteries are by far the heaviest component for wireless technology today. As such, all previous attempts to make aquatic microrobotics perform better usually failed due to higher energy requirements and the need to lug around a power source. This approach eliminates that issue, opening the door for lightning-fast microrobotics that can skim rough waterways.

Enhances Thrust Production

When dealing with microrobotics, it can be nearly impossible to achieve high thrust from today’s technology. The sheer size and weight constraints of these devices have limited them to low maneuverability applications. This latest discovery could change everything, ushering in a new age of hitech devices that don’t require heavy batteries to operate for long periods across harsh environments.

High Performance

Another major advantage that this technology brings to the table is high performance speed and agility. This form of water-skimming propulsion provides excellent agility at high speeds. These characteristics could help to make tomorrow’s microrobotics more efficient and useful.

Real-World Applications of Aquatic Microrobotics

There are several benefits that the aquatic microrobotics study brings to the market. For one, it opens the door for a new era in aquatic robotic designs. These self-morphing devices don’t require traditional motors to mitigate adverse waterways. As such, they could handle around-the-clock tasks that other devices aren’t capable of completing.

Environmental Monitoring

Water-striding robots would be ideal for environmental monitoring purposes. These tiny bots could work together to create a real-time image of waterway health and pollution levels. The fact that they can automatically move without draining their batteries will help to prevent contamination and other adverse environmental effects.

Disaster Relief

Microrobotics is seen by many as the future of disaster relief. The use of tiny sensors and robotics working as a network opens the door for faster discovery of those in need. The minuscule structure of these bots makes them ideal for searching flooded rivers, wetlands, or urban areas for survivors.

Timeline for Aquatic Microrobotics Development

It will be at least 5 years before any water striding robots begin to traverse your local creeks and streams. The next step will be to integrate sensors and other helpful features onto these microrobots. The scientists will likely seek industrial partnerships to complete this task.

Aquatic Microrobotics Researchers

The University of California, Berkeley, Ajou University, and the Georgia Institute of Technology contributed to the success of the aquatic microrobotics study. The paper lists biomechanist Víctor Ortega Jiménez as the lead author. It also states that Professor Je-sung Koh and Dongjin Kim contribute heavily to this work.

The Future of Aquatic Microrobotics

The future of aquatic microrobotics is bright. There is strong demand for these tiny devices, and as miniaturization of electronics expands, these robots will become cheaper and more accessible to the masses. For now, the goal is to take this discovery and use it to unlock other efficient and unique mechanisms that make it possible to overcome roadblocks in the miniaturization of robots finally.

Investing in the Microrobotics Sector

There are many companies in the robotics sector that are worth watching. These firms continue to push the technology’s capabilities further via new architectures and AI integration. Here’s one company that has put forth a lot of effort to remain innovative and dominant in the market.

Microbot Medical Inc

Microbot Medical Inc. launched in 2010 to utilize next-generation microbots to accomplish medical tasks with more efficiency and monitoring capabilities. The company was founded by Harel Gadot and is headquartered in Hingham, Massachusetts.

In 2018, Microbot Medical Inc. hosted an IPO that helped it to further its product lineup and  R&D. Impressively, the company launched the world’s first fully disposable single-use robotic system called Liberty. It helps with catheter-based cardiovascular procedures.

Today, Microbot Medical Inc. remains a popular robotics company with a unique mission designed to boost the healthcare sector. The manufacturer’s combination of products, market positioning, and overall focus on medical tasks makes it a smart option for those seeking stocks that provide both medical and robotics exposure.

Latest Microbot Medical (MBOT) Stock News and Developments

Aquatic Microrobotics Study | Conclusion

The Ripple Bugs study is a perfect example of biomimicry and how it can be integrated into today’s technologies with great success. Evolution has had a few billion years’ head start. As such, it can hold the answer to many of today’s most intricate questions. This study opens the door for more capable and environmentally friendly aquatic microrobotics and much more. As such, these engineers deserve a salute for their hard work and forward thinking.

Learn about other Pre-IPO Opportunities here.

Studies Referenced:

^{1. V.M. Ortega-Jimenez et al. Ultrafast elastocapillary fans control agile maneuvering in Ripple Bugs and robots. Science. Vol. 389 August 21, 2025, p. 811. doi: 10.1126/science.adv2792.}