Swiss scientists built a drone that can walk, jump and choice up on the flight, utilizing “bird” legs, which importantly increases the possibilities of its applications - says “Nature”.
The wings of birds are the equivalent of the front legs of the ground quadrupeds, but small is known about the coordination of the legs and wings of birds, not to mention the wings of drones that move.
Dron RAVEN (Robotic Avian-inspired Vehicle for multiple ENvirations) is the work of a squad from Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland, led by prof. Dario Floreano.
A crow's drone
The robot's legs were designed, modeling on birds sitting on branches specified as crows and crows, which frequently take off and land. Thanks to this inspiration, the drone can autonomously launch and land in environments previously inaccessible to winged drones.
"Birds were an inspiration for airplanes, and Wright brothers fulfilled this dream, but even today's planes are inactive rather far from what birds are capable of," said Doctor Won Dong Shin. - "Birds can go from going to flying and back, without the aid of a runway or launcher. Robotics inactive deficiency an engineering platform for this kind of movement".
Thanks to a combination of mathematical models, computer simulations and experiments with subsequent prototypes, very different mobility possibilities were obtained at the minimum weight of the device: the full drone weighs only 0.62 kilograms.
The heavier leg elements stay close to the "body", while the combination of springs and motors mimics strong tendons and bird muscles. Light feet (of course akin to birds) consist of 2 articulated structures joined by a passive, flexible joint that allows you to take different postures while walking, jumping and jumping.
Unique design
The RAVENa creators managed not only to build the most advanced winged drone, but besides to survey more closely the energy efficiency of jumps that let both birds and drones to compete
Early robots designed to walk were besides dense to jump, while robots designed to jump had no feet suitable for walking.
The unique plan of RAVENa allows it to walk, overcome gaps in the field, and even jump to a surface raised by 26 centimeters. Scientists have besides experimented with different flight initiation modes, including starting from standing position and falling. As it turned out, the jump to flight ensures the most effective usage of kinetic energy (depending on speed) and possible energy (height rise). Researchers from Switzerland collaborated with the University of California in Irvine (the results of this work were published, DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08228-9). fresh drones can decision across uneven terrain and compete from limited locations without human interference. This allows them to be utilized for inspection, mitigation and supply in hard areas.
Professor Floreano stressed that the results obtained are a first step towards a better knowing of the principles of the plan and control of flying animals and their translation into agile and energy efficient drones.
PAP
