École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne’s roboticists have developed a bird-inspired drone, RAVEN, that can jump into the air and walk on the ground with ease. The drone uses multifunctional legs, similar to those of birds, which store and release energy in tendon-like springs and flexible toes.
Researchers discovered that jumping takeoff is more energy-efficient than traditional standing takeoffs, allowing RAVEN to cover a greater distance. The drone’s ability to jump off the ground makes it a promising solution for fixed-wing drones, which often require runways or catapults to launch into the air.
RAVEN’s legs are designed to mimic those of birds, with actuated hip and ankle joints that form simplified but still birdlike legs. Springs in the ankle and toe joints help absorb force and store energy.
While RAVEN is lightweight and has a powerful motor, it can also take off from the ground without jumping when propped up at an angle. However, non-jumping takeoffs are unstable and less efficient than jumping.
Researchers hope to scale this design up to larger fixed-wing drones, which could be used for delivery purposes. A vision system is being developed for obstacle avoidance and landing, as well as wings that can fold to allow the drone to pass through narrow gaps.
The ultimate goal is to make RAVEN as bird-like as possible, incorporating flapping wings into the design. This would enable more bird-like motion and bring new research questions to explore.
Source: https://spectrum.ieee.org/bird-drone