Digital Event Horizon
EPFL researchers have developed a revolutionary new drone design inspired by birdlike legs, allowing it to walk, hop and jump into flight with unprecedented agility and versatility.
RAVEN is a robotic avian-inspired vehicle that can take off autonomously in environments previously inaccessible to winged drones. RAVEN's design is rooted in a deep understanding of avian biomechanics, using mathematical models, computer simulations, and experimental iterations. The drone features custom, multifunctional legs with springs and motors that mimic powerful avian tendons and muscles, allowing for agile movement and rapid adjustments. RAVEN's ability to transition seamlessly between air and land makes it an ideal candidate for a wide range of applications, including inspection, surveillance, disaster relief, and delivery services.
The world of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has long been dominated by traditional wing-based designs, but a team of researchers at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) has taken a bold new approach with their latest innovation: RAVEN, a robotic avian-inspired vehicle that can take off autonomously in environments previously inaccessible to winged drones.
RAVEN is the brainchild of Dario Floreano, the leader of EPFL's Laboratory of Intelligent Systems, who and his team have been working tirelessly to develop a drone that can not only mimic the flight patterns of birds but also seamlessly transition between air and land. By emulating the unique gait patterns and movement strategies employed by perching birds such as ravens and crows, RAVEN is able to take off from any location, regardless of terrain or environmental conditions.
According to Won Dong Shin, a PhD student at EPFL's Laboratory of Intelligent Systems, "Birds were the inspiration for airplanes in the first place, and the Wright brothers made this dream come true, but even today's planes are still quite far from what birds are capable of. Birds can transition from walking to running to the air and back again, without the aid of a runway or launcher. Engineering platforms for these kinds of movements are still missing in robotics."
Shin's design for RAVEN is rooted in a deep understanding of avian biomechanics, which has been painstakingly studied by the research team using a combination of mathematical models, computer simulations, and experimental iterations. The resulting leg design features custom, multifunctional avian legs that are optimized to maximize gait diversity while minimizing mass.
The legs themselves are composed of a combination of springs and motors that mimic powerful avian tendons and muscles, allowing for agile movement and rapid adjustments in response to changing environmental conditions. The result is a drone that can not only walk and hop with ease but also leap into flight with a minimum amount of effort, making it an incredibly versatile and capable platform.
One of the most significant advantages of RAVEN's design lies in its ability to transition seamlessly between air and land, allowing it to access environments that would be inaccessible to traditional wing-based drones. This makes RAVEN an ideal candidate for a wide range of applications, from inspection and surveillance to disaster relief and delivery services.
According to Floreano, "RAVEN represents just the first step towards a better understanding of design and control principles of multimodal flying animals, and their translation into agile and energetically efficient drones. Our work has shed light on the energetic efficiency of jumping for take-off in both birds and drones, and we are excited to explore the many potential applications of this technology."
The research behind RAVEN has been published in Nature, a leading international scientific journal that publishes cutting-edge research in all areas of natural science.
EPFL researchers have developed a revolutionary new drone design inspired by birdlike legs, allowing it to walk, hop and jump into flight with unprecedented agility and versatility.
Related Information:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/12/241206111951.htm
Published: Fri Dec 6 15:13:59 2024 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
