A robot hummingbird that's almost as agile as the real thing.

Purdue University’s Bio-Robotics Lab has produced what's likely the best hummingbird robot out there.

It’s just about the same size and shape as the real thing, and the researchers hope it will be able to perform the same sorts of acrobatic maneuvers as an actual hummingbird. And more importantly, it’s robust enough that it can use its wings as sensors to navigate around obstacles, meaning that it has a shot at being useful outside of a lab.