TechCrunch Industry News Why a researcher is building robots that look and act like bats; plus Productivity app Hero announces an SDK that will complete your AI prompts for you
Nov 13, 2025
Innovative palm-sized robots inspired by bats are being designed for search-and-rescue missions using ultrasound for navigation. These robots leverage AI to overcome obstacles, showcasing a blend of biology and technology. Meanwhile, a new SDK from Hero promises to enhance AI prompt creation, making interactions more efficient and reducing the need for repetitive inputs. With examples across various applications, this technology aims to save users time and improve experience while navigating AI tools.
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Biology-Inspired Miniature Navigation
- Researchers built palm-sized flying robots inspired by bats to navigate dangerous environments using ultrasound navigation.
- Biology shows small animals achieve complex navigation with limited sensing and compute, guiding robot design choices.
PhD Challenge Led To Robotic Beehive
- Sanket recounted his PhD challenge to build the smallest possible robot, which sparked biology-based robotics research.
- He prototyped a robotic beehive for pollination but shifted to search-and-rescue where near-term impact seemed likelier.
Low-Power Ultrasound And Noise Problem
- The team used low-power ultrasound sensors from automatic faucets to keep robots compact and energy-efficient.
- Propeller noise initially overwhelmed sensors, prompting design changes inspired by bat anatomy to modulate sound.