New Delhi, June 26 -- The robots are here and now they can fly. At the Italian Institute of Technology, engineers have built iRonCub, a robot shaped like a person (with a baby face, for some reason) that can lift off the ground with jet engines. The robot stands as tall as a child and weighs about 70 kilograms. Its face is blank and simple.

The team started with detailed computer models to design iRonCub. They used a programme called PTC Creo. The design keeps changing as they test the robot in real life. The latest version is called iRonCub MK3. It has a new titanium spine and covers that protect it from heat.

There are four jet engines, two on the arms and two on the back. These engines can lift the robot and keep it in the air. The e...