Nothing flies quite like a bat. But this robot is coming close. The more bat-like it becomes, the better it flies. In time, it might fly circles around other drones.

Meet the Bat Bot. Mechanical masterminds designed it. The Bat Bot’s stretchy wings are controlled by nine joints. Real bat wings have more than 40 joints. Scientists modeled each of the Bat Bot’s joints after the most important joints in a real bat. The computer inside the Bat Bot tells it to fly, dive, and turn. The Bat Bot’s wings can flap fast—as many as ten times in just one second.

People use flying drones to gather information from places too difficult or dangerous to reach on foot. Because it mimics the unique and flexible way bats fly, the Bat Bot could get into disaster sites more safely than bulkier drones. It could also help construction companies make maps and collect photos of work sites from the air.

The small robot weighs only about as much as a deck of cards. But building it cost $1.5 million. It took three whole years—and scientists aren’t even done. They still need to add cameras so the robots can do their work. After that, they will need to build more Bat Bots. Then they will need permission from the government to fly them.

Robotics experts agree that the Bat Bot is impressive. Vijay Kumar is an engineering professor at the University of Pennsylvania. He is very interested in the new research. But will the Bat Bot really work better than other drones? Mr. Kumar says, “It is too early to tell.”