(CNN) -- Establishing emergency communication networks in disaster-hit areas can often take time, hampering rescue teams in their efforts to save lives.

But a new system of autonomous flying robots being developed at the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) could make establishing emergency wireless networks faster, more reliable and more affordable.

The Swarming Micro Air Vehicle Network (SMAVNET) research project at EPFL's Laboratory of Intelligent Systems (LIS) was set up to study swarm intelligence -- the science of artificially mimicking the efficient collective behaviors of animal or insect colonies. The aim is to create a system which could be deployed in disaster scenarios says Jean-Christophe Zufferey, a research scientist at LIS.

"We started doing research at EPFL on bio-inspired robots in 2001, beginning with a fly-inspired artificial insect that could avoid hitting the walls and ground. From that success we moved on to test these outdoors," Zufferey said.

This led to the creation of a "flying wing" -- one of 10 devices which have flown together as part of the SMAVNET project.

cool becaus its a lot of technolgy for the humans and for the planet