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A two-dimensional perching model is proposed first for perching with quadrotors. Then a perching mechanism by means of grasping is designed based on the model. The kinematic specifications of the perching mechanism are optimized to maximize the force transfer ratio so that sufficient grasping force can be generated for reliable perching. A controller of the gripper based on the control strategy from previous development is designed for autonomous perching with a quadrotor. Experiments on the grasping capability and reliability of the mechanism and its effectiveness with the controller for autonomous perching are conducted. Results show that the perching mechanism can generate sufficient grasping force and achieve autonomous perching to a target pole with a quadrotor both effectively and reliably.

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Endurance is the critical problem that most Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) will definitely encounter. By learning frombirds in nature that perch to reserve energy, however, this problem could probably be solved. The purposes of this paper are to gain inspiration from bird’s perching in a more systematic way, to further propose a design of bio-inspired adaptive perching mechanism, and to investigate its functionality and reliability in applications. Principles are first derived from anatomy analysis of perching birds as a guide. The perching sequence of a UAV is then generalized into 3 stages, namely pre-perching, perching and de-perching. Design specifications are presented, reliability experiments are performed and results are analyzed.