Caltech engineers have brought to life something that feels like it came straight out of a sci‑fi dream: a robot called ATMO that can fly like a drone and, while still in mid‑air, reshape itself into a little wheeled rover. It’s like a miniature transformer, built with tiny motors, propellers, and a smart system that lets it switch from flying to rolling without ever touching down first.
The secret lies in its clever setup: four thrusters lift it into the sky, and the shields around them become its wheels once it lands. A single motor in the center flips everything into ground‑mode mid‑flight, so it doesn’t have to touch down awkwardly or get stuck on rough ground. Inside its computer, it’s constantly watching how air moves especially near the ground and tweaks each thruster in real time to ensure the change‑over is smooth and steady
But ATMO isn’t just about impressing with transformations; its real power is the smart control system that makes it work. The Caltech team ran tests with load sensors and smoke to study how air pushes back when the robot shifts shape near the ground. They used all that data to build a control system that predicts what’s coming next and adjusts mid‑air, much like a bird folding its wings to land, but with wheels included.
This robot could change how we explore and rescue. Picture search‑and‑rescue teams sending it over rubble, it could fly above danger, then roll through tiny gaps to help survivors. Or imagine explorers landing on Mars, spotting tricky terrain, and having ATMO switch from flying over crevices to rolling across rocky ground all without the hassle of finding a perfect landing spot. Though it’s still a lab demo, ATMO shows a future where robots can morph, adapt, and keep going no matter what.
