A new method has been developed by researchers that allows a flapping-wing robot to land on a horizontal perch using a claw-like mechanism.
Mimicking nature has allowed us to master many things. The sight of a bird landing on a branch makes it seem like the manoeuvre is probably the easiest thing in the world. The act of perching, however, is far from easy. It involves a delicate balance of timing, high-impact forces, speed, and precision.
The move is so complex that no flapping-wing robot or ornithopter has been able to achieve it so far. That has changed now with researchers from the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Switzerland along with colleagues at the University of Seville, Spain being able to achieve it in a controlled environment. The results of the study have been published in Nature Communications in December 2022.
Engineering challenges
The engineering challenges for an ornithopter included slowing down significantly as it perched while still maintaining flight; building a claw strong enough to support its weight while grasping and perching, without being too heavy that it can't be held aloft; and being able to perceive its environment with respect to its own position, speed, and trajectory.
By equipping their ornithopter with a fully on-board computer and a navigation system that was complemented by a motion-sensor system, the researchers were able to overcome all these challenges. Once perched, the robot was able to remain perched, without expending energy.
Next up, unpredictable environment
The flight experiments were carried out indoors so that the flight zone could be a more controlled environment. The next task is to increase the robot’s autonomy to perform these perching and manipulation tasks outdoors in uncontrolled environments.
Once that is achieved, these ornithopters would be ready for more real word applications, such as unobtrusively collecting biological samples or measurements from a tree. This is because ornithopters, like many unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). have limited battery life. The ability to land on a perch would enable flapping-wing robots to possibly recharge using solar energy, making them viable options for long-distance missions.
Picture Credit : Google