Drone Mimics Bird's Movements with Walking Legs
RAVEN drone combines walking, hopping, and flying capabilities with bird-inspired legs. Designed by engineers from Switzerland and the U.S., the drone mimics bird behaviour and design. The innovative drone's take-off mechanism allows for vertical take-off without the need for a runway.
Inspired by bird anatomy, engineers from Switzerland and the U.S. have designed RAVEN (Robotic Avian-inspired Vehicle for multiple Environments) to seamlessly transition between walking on land and flying through the air.
Traditional fixed-wing aircraft excel at flying forward but lack the ability to vertically take off and land like drones without a runway or launcher. RAVEN's birdlike legs open up possibilities for deploying fixed-wing aircraft in challenging terrains inaccessible to typical drones.
Won Dong Shin, a doctoral candidate at Switzerland's Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, who designed the drone legs, highlighted the potential of bird-like robots in various fields, especially for delivery and search-and-rescue missions. The team's research, detailed in a recent paper in the journal Nature, showcases RAVEN's innovative design and functionality.
RAVEN not only imitates bird behaviour but also resembles one in design, featuring spindly legs with claw-like "feet" and power-amplifying ankle joints for rapid acceleration and take-off. With a wingspan of 3.25 feet and weighing about 1.4 pounds, this avian-inspired drone combines functionality with a touch of cuteness, sporting a beak-like appendage on its "face."
Shin's fascination with birds, particularly crows, played a crucial role in developing RAVEN. Observing how crows initiate flight by jumping in various scenarios inspired the drone's take-off mechanism. This unique feature could prove invaluable in locating individuals in distress or assessing dangerous situations, allowing RAVEN to return to base without the need for a runway.
While fully autonomous, vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) fixed-wing drones are already available, RAVEN's addition of legs propels it into uncharted territory. Designing lightweight robots with multifunctional legs posed integration and control challenges, but the research sheds light on the energy efficiency of both birds and drones.
Dario Floreano, a roboticist and director of the Laboratory of Intelligent Systems at Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, emphasised that this research is just the beginning of understanding the design and control principles of flying animals and their application in agile and energy-efficient drones.
RAVEN drone combines walking, hopping, and flying capabilities with bird-inspired legs.
Designed by engineers from Switzerland and the U.S., the drone mimics bird behaviour and design.
The innovative drone's take-off mechanism allows for vertical take-off without the need for a runway.
Source: FORBES