Robots Crossing Boundaries

Imagine a robot that can move through air and water with the agility of a small bird. Explore how multi-environment robots could be used in real-world settings such as disaster response, ecological monitoring, inspection of hard-to-reach infrastructure, and search-and-rescue missions. What technical challenges must be solved for reliable operation? How should designers balance speed, durability, energy use, and autonomy? What new safety, regulatory, or ethical issues emerge when robots can move between environments that humans cannot easily access? Finish by describing one application where such a robot would create clear public value.