How can birds inspire the design and construction of drones? This is what a recent study published in Nature hopes to address as an international team of researchers led by the EPFL - Swiss Federal Technology Institute of Lausanne developed a drone capable of walking, hopping, and taking off for flight with characteristics of a bird and has been aptly named RAVEN (Robotic Avian-inspired Vehicle for multiple ENvironments). This study holds the potential to help scientists and engineers develop the next generation of drones that can be used for a variety of purposes while taking cues from nature’s finest creatures.
What sets RAVEN apart from previous drone designs is its lightweight configuration, whereas drones are traditionally bulky and heavy. As a result, RAVEN has demonstrated its ability to walk, jump over gaps between environments, and even jump as high as 10 inches (26 centimeters). However, RAVEN’s ability to take off for flight was the most rewarding result, as it demonstrated it can fly directly from a single spot or conduct a falling take-off, but the researchers found that jumping into flight was the most energy-efficient method.
“Translating avian legs and feet into a lightweight robotic system presented us with design, integration, and control problems that birds have solved elegantly over the course of evolution,” said Dr. Dario Floreano, who is a Full Professor in Intelligent Systems at EPFL and a co-author on the study. “This led us to not only come up with the most multimodal winged drone to date, but also to shed light on the energetic efficiency of jumping for take-off in both birds and drones.”
Due to its unique abilities, drones like RAVEN could be used in a myriad of applications, including disaster relief, inspections, and delivery in remote areas.
How will RAVEN help develop the next generation of drones in the coming years and decades? Only time will tell, and this is why we science!
As always, keep doing science & keep looking up!
Sources: Nature, EurekAlert!, EPFL
Featured Image Credit: Alain Herzog
