A bioinspired multi-modal flying and walking robot

Daler, Ludovic; Mintchev, Stefano; Stefanini, Cesare; Floreano, Dario

doi:10.1088/1748-3190/10/1/016005

Cited by 78 publications

(57 citation statements)

References 37 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In an effort to minimize the total cost of transport 25 , which will be increased by the additional locomotion mode, these future drones may benefit from using the same actuation system for flight control and ground locomotion. The different speed and torque requirements of these two locomotion modes could be reconciled by adapting the wing morphology to the specific situation 26 , similar to the way vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) use their powerful front limbs when flying or walking 27 . Alternatively, multi-modal locomotion could be obtained by adding large wheels to the sides of hovering drones 28 , by embedding the propulsion system in a rolling cage 29 , or by completely decoupling the spherical cage from the inner rotors by means of a gimbal system 30 (Fig.…”

Section: Multi-modal Dronesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Science, technology and the future of small autonomous drones

Floreano

Wood

2015

Nature

Self Cite

1,094

552

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Drones, a popular nickname for unmanned aerial vehicles and micro aerial vehicles, often conjure up images of unmanned aeroplanes that fly thousands of miles for espionage and to deploy munitions. However, over the past few years, an increasing number of public and private research laboratories have been working on small, human-friendly drones that one day may autonomously fly in confined spaces and in close proximity to people. The development of these small drones, which is the main focus of this Review, has been supported by the miniaturization and cost reduction of electronic components (microprocessors, sensors, batteries and wireless communication units), largely driven by the portable electronic device industry. These improvements have enabled the prototyping and commercialization of small (typically less than 1 kg) drones at smartphone prices.Small drones will have important socio-economic impacts (Fig. 1). Images from drones that are capable of flying a few metres above the ground will fill a gap between expensive, weather-dependent and lowresolution images provided by satellites and car-based images limited to human-level perspectives and the availability of accessible roads. Specialized flying cameras and cloud-based data analytics will allow farmers to continuously monitor the quality of crop growth. Such platforms will enable construction companies to measure work progress in real time. Drones will let mining companies obtain precise volumetric data of excavations. Energy and infrastructure companies will be able to exhaustively survey pipelines, roads and cables. Humanitarian organizations could immediately assess and adapt aid efforts in continuously changing refugee camps. Transportation drones that are capable of safely taking off and landing in the proximity of buildings and humans will allow developing countries -without a suitable road network -to rapidly deliver goods and to finally unleash the full potential of their e-commerce telecommunication infrastructure. Transportation drones will also help developed countries to improve the quality of service in congested or remote areas, and will enable rescue organizations to quickly deliver medical supplies in the field and on demand. Inspection drones that are capable of flying in confined spaces will help fire-fighting and emergency units to assess dangers faster and more safely, logistic companies to detect cracks in the inner and outer shells of ships, road maintenance companies to measure signs of wear and tear in bridges and tunnels, security companies to improve building safety by monitoring areas outside the range of surveillance cameras, and disaster mitigation agencies to inspect partially collapsed buildings where ground clutter is an obstacle for terrestrial robots. Coordinated teams of autonomous drones will enable missions that last longer than the flight time of a single drone by allowing some drones to temporarily leave the team for battery replacement. Drone teams will permit rescue organizations to quickly deploy dedicated commu...

show abstract

Section: Multi-modal Dronesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Science, technology and the future of small autonomous drones

Floreano

Wood

2015

Nature

Self Cite

1,094

552

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Doing so may have significant impact toward better energy utilization depending on the given task. We present results on aerial vehicles that can perch [70 -72], walk [73,74], run [35] and roll [75]. Overall, improving the capacity of aerial robots for reliable and persistent operation will be valuable in several ways.…”

Section: Bio-inspired Multimodal Operation Capabilitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Energetics in robotic flight at small scales

Karydis

Kumar

2017

Interface Focus.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Recent advances in design, sensing and control have led to aerial robots that offer great promise in a range of real-world applications. However, one critical open question centres on how to improve the energetic efficiency of aerial robots so that they can be useful in practical situations. This review paper provides a survey on small-scale aerial robots (i.e. less than 1 m 2 area foot print, and less than 3 kg weight) from the point of view of energetics. The paper discusses methods to improve the efficiency of aerial vehicles, and reports on recent findings by the authors and other groups on modelling the impact of aerodynamics for the purpose of building energy-aware motion planners and controllers.

show abstract

“…For example, flying amphibian robots' multicopters and planes can be applied for motion in two environments [36]. Energy demanding flight and periodic ground motion can be combined for surface locomotion [37,38]. The combination of the water and surface environments' motion under certain local conditions can extend the range of applications and decrease power consumption.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bioenergy Based Power Sources for Mobile Autonomous Robots

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper presents the problem of application of modern developments in the field of bio-energy for the development of autonomous mobile robots' power sources. We carried out analysis of biofuel cells, gasification and pyrolysis of biomass. Nowadays, very few technologies in the bioenergy field are conducted with regards to the demands brought by robotics. At the same time, a number of technologies, such as biofuel cells, have now already come into use as a power supply for experimental autonomous mobile robots. The general directions for research that may help to increase the efficiency of power energy sources described in the article, in case of their use in robotics, are also presented.

show abstract

A bioinspired multi-modal flying and walking robot

Cited by 78 publications

References 37 publications

Science, technology and the future of small autonomous drones

Science, technology and the future of small autonomous drones

Energetics in robotic flight at small scales

Bioenergy Based Power Sources for Mobile Autonomous Robots

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About