They are even trying to mimic insects, by making robots that take off when they flap their wings.

By 2045 we should see insect-sized robotic insects capable of flying in co-ordinated swarms. They might be used for crop pollination purposes or as battlefield or crowd control cameras.

But the ability that a lot of engineers would really like to put into robots is the flapping-wing flight of insects, with its attendant ability to hover.