Technology

  RoboFly, the first wireless insect-sized flying robot, is slightly heavier than a toothpick. Credit: Mark Stone/University of Washington Insect-sized flying robots could help with time-consuming tasks like surveying crop growth on large farms or sniffing out gas leaks. These robots soar by fluttering tiny wings because they are too small to use propellers, like those seen on their larger drone cousins. Small size is advantageous: These robots are cheap to make and can easily slip into tight places that are inaccessible to big drones. But current flying robo-insects are still tethered to the ground. The electronics they need to power and control their wings are too heavy for these miniature robots to carry. Now, engineers at the University of Washington have for the first time cut the cord and added a brain, allowing their RoboFly to take its first independent flaps. This might be one small flap for a robot, but it's one giant leap for robot-kind. The tea...

These well-regarded universities from around the world have shown strength in producing research related to a variety of engineering topics. They include aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and civil engineering. All rely on the basic engineering concept of using math and science to solve problems. These are the world's best universities for engineering. #1 Tsinghua University China Beijing #64 – Best Global Universities Subject Score – 94.5 #2 National University of Singapore Singapore #43 – Best Global Universities Subject Score - 93.2 #3 Massachusetts Institute of Technology United States Cambridge, MA #2 – Best Global Universities Subject Score - 93 #4 Nanyang Technological University Singapore #55 (tied) – Best Global Universities Subject Score - 92.3 #5 University of California--Berkeley United States Berkeley, CA #4 – Best Global Universities Subject Score - 91.2 #...