Flying robots have many advantages over ground robots, but they are obviously not very energy efficient. An experimental new robot solves this problem by using a wing-assisted mechanism to jump rather than walk or fly in the traditional sense. Developed by a team of scientists from MIT, the University of Hong Kong, and City University of Hong Kong (which previously developed Hopcopter), the robot weighs less than 1 gram and is just over 5 centimeters (2 inches) tall.
It features a vertically positioned spring-loaded carbon fiber pole that jumps like a pogo stick. It has four insect-inspired flapping wings on top of its body, powered by electrically controlled artificial muscles. Currently, the robot is connected to an external power source and guided by an external motion tracking system.
When the robot first falls to the ground, its leg springs are compressed on impact, storing energy.
When the spring rebounds, energy is released, propelling the robot into the air. The robot's wing beats provide extra lift, allowing it to jump up to 20 centimeters (7.9 inches) while moving laterally at speeds of up to 30 centimeters (11.8 inches per second). Even so, it still consumes far less power than actually flying on its wings.
At the top of the jump, the motion tracking system identifies the robot's next landing spot, including its angle and terrain type. A control algorithm connected to the computer then calculates the speed and angle required for the robot to land at that point in order to successfully complete its next jump.
Therefore, the wings are used to adjust the direction of the aircraft as it descends to ensure that these standards are met. In this way, the robot is able to easily negotiate obstacles and traverse a variety of rugged or sloping terrains that would normally be difficult for wheeled or walking robots. So far it has successfully traversed grass, ice, wet glass, uneven soil, and even dynamically tilted slabs. At the same time, tests have shown that the robot consumes 64% less energy than traditional drone robots to fly the same distance.
Because the robot is so energy-efficient, scientists now plan to equip it with a built-in battery and motion tracking system. It can also be equipped with additional sensors, which may be used in the future for tasks such as searching for survivors at disaster sites or exploring dangerous environments.
The research was led by Yixuan Xiao, Songnan Bai and Zhongtao Guan, and their paper was recently published in the journal Science Advances. You can see the device jumping in the video below.